Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S) Unit Converter

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) is a steroid hormone produced primarily by the adrenal glands. It is the sulfate ester form of DHEA and circulates at concentrations roughly 100 times higher than DHEA itself.

DHEA-S serves as a reservoir and precursor hormone that the body converts into more potent sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. In premenopausal women, 40-75% of circulating testosterone is derived from DHEA-S metabolism; in postmenopausal women, over 90% of estrogens come from this pathway.

Unlike DHEA, which has a short half-life of 15-30 minutes and fluctuates throughout the day, DHEA-S has a much longer half-life of 7-10 hours and remains relatively stable, making it a more reliable marker of adrenal androgen production.

DHEA-S is produced almost exclusively by the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex (95-100%), with very small amounts made in the gonads (testes and ovaries) and the brain. Production is controlled by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland.