MONDAY, April 7, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- The supplement dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) shows no effect on Alzheimer's disease.
That's the finding of new research in the April 8 issue of Neurology.
The study of 58 people with Alzheimer's disease who took DHEA for six months found the supplement did not significantly improve their cognitive performance or their ratings of disease severity. The study was led by the University of California at San Francisco.
Those in the study were given either 100 milligrams per day of DHEA or a placebo. They were tested for cognitive functioning and rated by doctors and caregivers on any changes in the severity of the disease before the study began and again at three and six months after the start of the study.
Of the 58 people who were enrolled at the start of the study, 46 completed three months of treatment and 33 completed the full six months of treatment.
In addition to being touted as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, DHEA is claimed by some to be an anti-aging hormone and an effective therapy for cancer, AIDS and diabetes.
DHEA is a hormone that's produced naturally in the adrenal glands, which is then converted by the body into the hormones estrogen and testosterone. The DHEA supplement is made from plant chemicals.
More information
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