Side effects
Prasterone is produced naturally in the human body, but the long-term effects of its use are largely unknown. In the short term, several studies have noted few adverse effects. In a study by Chang et al., prasterone was administered at a dose of 200 mg/day for 24 weeks with slight androgenic effects noted. Another study utilized a dose up to 400 mg/day for 8 weeks with few adverse events reported. A longer-term study followed patients dosed with 50 mg of prasterone for 12 months with the number and severity of side effects reported to be small. Another study delivered a dose of 50 mg of prasterone for 10 months with no serious adverse events reported.As a hormone precursor, there have been reports of side effects possibly caused by the hormone metabolites of prasterone.It is not known whether prasterone is safe for long-term use. Some researchers believe prasterone supplements might actually raise the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Prasterone may stimulate tumor growth in types of cancer that are sensitive to hormones, such as some types of breast, uterine, and prostate cancer. Prasterone may increase prostate swelling in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate gland.Prasterone is a steroid hormone. High doses may cause aggressiveness, irritability, trouble sleeping, and the growth of body or facial hair on women. It also may stop menstruation and lower the levels of HDL cholesterol, which could raise the risk of heart disease.
Mayo was the seventh player to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs since the league began testing in 1999. Olympic 400-meter champion Lashawn Merritt tested positive for prasterone in 2010 and was banned from the sport for 21 months. Tennis player Venus Williams had permission from the International Tennis Federation to use DHEA along with hydrocortisone as a treatment for "adrenal insufficiency," but it was revoked in 2016 by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which believed DHEA use would enhance Williams athletic performance. Research
Anabolic uses
A meta-analysis of intervention studies shows that prasterone supplementation in elderly men can induce a small but significant positive effect on body composition that is strictly dependent on prasterone conversion into its bioactive metabolites such as androgens or estrogens. Evidence is inconclusive in regards to the effect of prasterone on strength in the elderly. In middle-aged men, no significant effect of prasterone supplementation on lean body mass, strength, or testosterone levels was found in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Cancer
There is no evidence prasterone is of benefit in treating or preventing cancer. Cardiovascular disease
A review in 2003 found the then-extant evidence sufficient to suggest that low serum levels of DHEA-S may be associated with coronary heart disease in men, but insufficient to determine whether prasterone supplementation would have any cardiovascular benefit.Prasterone may enhance G6PD mRNA expression, confounding its inhibitory effects. Lupus
There is some evidence of short-term benefit in those with systemic lupus erythematosus but little evidence of long-term benefit or safety.