Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Unit Converter

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is one of the most abundant steroid hormones in the human body. It is produced primarily by the adrenal glands and serves as a precursor, or building block, for the production of sex hormones including testosterone and estrogen.

DHEA circulates in the blood mostly as DHEA-sulfate (DHEAS), a more stable form created in the adrenal glands and liver. Circulating DHEAS levels are over 100 times higher than DHEA, and the two forms are often used interchangeably in clinical settings.

DHEA levels follow a characteristic pattern throughout life: they peak in your mid-20s, then gradually decline with age, dropping to roughly 20% of peak levels by age 70-80.

DHEA is produced primarily by the adrenal cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal glands), with smaller amounts made by the gonads (testes in men, ovaries in women) and the brain. Production is partly controlled by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland.