DHEA is a hormone precursor that is broken down into estrogen and testosterone, providing a safe and gentle method of increasing testosterone levels. Since DHEA can also raise estrogen levels, it's important to consider when developing an HRT plan that includes estrogen.

In order to avoid an issue where someone ends up taking excessive estrogen, Winona physicians takes the estrogen contribution from DHEA into account when determining the appropriate estrogen dose. This ensures that DHEA and estrogen replacement can be used together safely.

DHEA is safe at 50 mg or less per day, and for most women taking DHEA for symptom relief during the menopause transition, even a 25 mg dose has been found to be effective. Winona never prescribes DHEA in doses higher than 50 mg.

Some studies indicate that DHEA can decrease BMI while maintaining or even improving lean muscle mass. It has also been shown to reduce visceral fat in perimenopausal and menopausal women. While not a cure-all, studies suggest that DHEA offers additional benefits beyond diet and exercise alone.