DHEAS

At a Glance

Why Get Tested?

To help evaluate whether your adrenal glands are working properly; to detect adrenal tumors or cancers; to help determine the cause of masculine physical characteristics (virilization) in girls and women or early puberty in boys

When To Get Tested?

When a girl or woman has excess facial and body hair (hirsutism), acne, absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea), or when a woman is unable to get pregnant (infertility); when a boy shows signs of very early (precocious) puberty such as deeper voice, pubic hair, or muscle development

Sample Required?

A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm

Test Preparation Needed?

None

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What is being tested?

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is a male sex hormone (androgen) that is present in both men and women. This test measures the level of DHEAS in the blood.

DHEAS:

Plays a role in developing male secondary sexual characteristics at puberty
Can be converted by the body into more potent androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione
Can be converted into the female hormone estrogen

DHEAS is produced almost exclusively by the adrenal glands, with smaller amounts being produced by a woman’s ovaries and a man’s testicles.

A DHEAS test is useful in determining whether the adrenal glands are working properly. Adrenal tumors (cancerous and non-cancerous) and enlargement of an adrenal gland (hyperplasia) can lead to an increased level of DHEAS. Rarely, an ovarian tumor may produce DHEAS.

Excess DHEAS:

May not be noticed in adult men
Can cause early (precocious) puberty in young boys
Can lead to absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea) and the development of masculine physical characteristics (virilization) in girls and women, such as excess body and facial hair (hirsutism)
Can cause a female baby to be born with genitals that are not distinctly male or female in appearance (ambiguous external genitalia)

Common Questions

How is the test used?

The test for dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is ordered along with tests for testosterone and several other male hormones (androgens) to:

Evaluate whether the adrenal glands are working properly
Distinguish between DHEAS-secreting conditions that are caused by the adrenal glands from those that originate in the testicles or rarely in the ovaries (ovarian tumors)
Help diagnose tumors in the outer layer (cortex) of the adrenal gland (adrenocortical tumors) and adrenal cancers
Help diagnose congenital adrenal hyperplasia and enlargement of the adrenal glands (hyperplasia) in adults

In women, DHEAS levels are often measured, along with other hormones such as FSH, LH, prolactin, estrogen, and testosterone, to help diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to help rule out other causes of infertility, lack of menstrual period (amenorrhea), and excess hair on the face and body (hirsutism).

DHEAS levels may be ordered with other hormones to investigate and diagnose the cause of the development of masculine physical characteristics (virilization) in young girls and early (precocious) puberty in young boys.

When is it ordered?

DHEAS levels are not routinely measured. A DHEAS test may be ordered, along with other hormone tests, when an excess (or, more rarely, a deficiency) in male hormones (androgens) is suspected and/or when your healthcare practitioner wants to evaluate your adrenal gland function.

It may be measured when a woman has signs and symptoms such as no menstrual periods and infertility, and when a girl or woman has symptoms related to developing masculine physical characteristics. These can vary in severity and may include:

A deeper voice
Excess facial or body hair (hirsutism)
Loss of hair from the top of the head (male pattern baldness)
Muscularity
Acne
Enlargement of the Adam’s apple
Decreased breast size

It may also be ordered when a girl has genitals that are not distinctly male or female in appearance (ambiguous genitalia).

DHEAS may also be measured when young boys show signs of early (precocious) puberty, the development of a deeper voice, pubic hair, muscularity, and an enlarged penis well before the age of normal puberty.

What does the test result mean?

A normal DHEAS level, in addition to other normal male hormone levels, likely indicates that your adrenal glands are functioning normally. Rarely, DHEAS may be normal when an adrenal tumor or cancer is present but is not producing excess hormones.

A high DHEAS blood level may indicate that excess DHEAS production is causing or contributing to your symptoms. However, an increased level of DHEAS is not diagnostic of a specific condition. It usually indicates the need for further testing to pinpoint the cause of the hormone imbalance. An elevated DHEAS may indicate:

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
A tumor of the adrenal gland, which may be benign or cancerous
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—about 25% to 50% of women with POCS have elevated DHEAS
Rarely, an ovarian tumor that produces DHEAS

A low level of DHEAS may be due to:

Adrenal insufficiency or Addison disease
Adrenal dysfunction
Hypopituitarism, a condition that causes low levels of the pituitary hormones that regulate the production of adrenal hormones

Does my sample for a DHEAS level have to be drawn at a certain time of day like other hormone tests?

Some hormones are increased in the morning while others rise and fall throughout the day. Some are released intermittently or with increased activity or in response to stress. Some hormones are higher at particular times of the month, and others are relatively stable. Blood sample collection for some hormone tests are timed so that the hormones can be evaluated at their highest or lowest levels. The DHEAS concentration, however, is stable, so your sample may be collected any time of day and it will not affect the result of the test.

Does everyone with elevated DHEAS have symptoms?

Not necessarily. It may be difficult to determine when adult men have an elevated level of DHEAS (since they already have masculine secondary sexual characteristics) and women of some ethnic groups (for example, Asian women) may have elevated levels of testosterone and DHEAS without exhibiting symptoms such as excess hair growth or acne. Also, it should be noted that symptoms and their severity will vary from person to person.

Can the DHEAS test be performed in my healthcare practitioner's office?

No, the testing requires specialized equipment and is not performed in every laboratory. Your blood may need to be sent to a reference laboratory for testing.

Is there anything else I should know?

DHEAS levels are normally high in both male and female newborns. They drop sharply shortly after birth, then rise again during puberty. DHEAS concentrations peak after puberty, and then, like other male and female hormones, the levels tend to decline with age.

People taking DHEA supplements will have elevated blood levels of DHEAS. Certain antidiabetic drugs (such as metformin and troglitazone), prolactin, danazol, calcium channel blockers, and nicotine may also increase DHEAS levels. Drugs/hormones that may show decreased levels include insulin, oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, dopamine, hepatic enzyme inducers (carbamazepine, imipramine, phenytoin), fish oil, and vitamin E. It is important to inform your healthcare provider when taking any of these medications or supplements.

Looking For Test Results?

Looking For Reference Ranges?

You may be able to find your test results on your laboratory’s website or patient portal. However, you are currently at Lab Tests Online. You may have been directed here by your lab’s website in order to provide you with background information about the test(s) you had performed. You will need to return to your lab’s website or portal, or contact your healthcare practitioner in order to obtain your test results.

Lab Tests Online is an award-winning patient education website offering information on laboratory tests. The content on the site, which has been reviewed by laboratory scientists and other medical professionals, provides general explanations of what results might mean for each test listed on the site, such as what a high or low value might suggest to your healthcare practitioner about your health or medical condition.

The reference ranges for your tests can be found on your laboratory report. They are typically found to the right of your results.

If you do not have your lab report, consult your healthcare provider or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range.

Laboratory test results are not meaningful by themselves. Their meaning comes from comparison to reference ranges. Reference ranges are the values expected for a healthy person. They are sometimes called “normal” values. By comparing your test results with reference values, you and your healthcare provider can see if any of your test results fall outside the range of expected values. Values that are outside expected ranges can provide clues to help identify possible conditions or diseases.

While accuracy of laboratory testing has significantly evolved over the past few decades, some lab-to-lab variability can occur due to differences in testing equipment, chemical reagents, and techniques. This is a reason why so few reference ranges are provided on this site. It is important to know that you must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are “within normal limits.”

For more information, please read the article Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

Related Images

Location of the adrenal gland. Image credit: Alan Hoofring, National Cancer Institute

View Sources

Sources Used in Current Review

(© 1995–2014). Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S), Serum. Mayo Clinic Mayo Medical Laboratories [On-line information]. Available online at https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/Overview/113595. Accessed January 2020.

Elhomsy, G. and Griffing, G. (Updated 2012 September 10). Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Sulfate. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2088893-overview#showall. Accessed January 2020.

(June 24, 2002) Kovacs, P. Elevated DHEAS Levels in Women With PCOS. Medscape Ask the Experts. Available online at https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/481129. Accessed January 2020.

Sources Used in Previous Reviews

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Ribeiro, R.C., et.al. (2000 October). Adrenocortical tumors in children. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, International Adrenocortical Tumor Registry [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.stjude.org/ipactr/reference_treatment_16.htm.

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(© 1995–2014). Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S), Serum. Mayo Clinic Mayo Medical Laboratories [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Overview/8493. Accessed September 2014.

Elhomsy, G. and Griffing, G. (Updated 2012 September 10). Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Sulfate. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2088893-overview#showall. Accessed September 2014.

Wayne, M. and Miller, C. (Updated 2014 February). Amenorrhea. ARUP Consult [On-line information]. Available online at http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/Amenorrhea.html?client_ID=LTD#tabs=0. Accessed September 2014.

Lucidi, R. (Updated 2013 November 11). Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Medscape Reference [On-line information]. Available online at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/256806-overview. Accessed September 2014.

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Rao LV, Pechet L, Jenkins A, et al. (2011). in Wallach’s Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests. Williamson MA, Snyder LM, eds. Chapter 2 – Laboratory Tests: DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULFATE, SERUM (DHEA-SULFATE). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Philadelphia.

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