What is DHEA-S?
Beside cortisol your adrenal glands make a second hormone: DHEA, a building block from which your body can make testosterone and oestrogen in the tissues. Most of it is given a sulphate group in the adrenal gland itself, which keeps it in the blood longer and makes the value stable over the day. That is DHEA-S, and in men and women it is the hormone circulating in the blood in the largest amount. In women it is the main source of testosterone after the menopause; in men it delivers a small part beside the testicles. Production begins around age seven, peaks between the twenties and thirties and falls steadily after that, to about a fifth of the peak around seventy. That decline is the subject of most questions about DHEA-S, and it is ordinary: all labs lower their band with the years, and women sit lower than men at every age. A value that comes out above the band in a man at age 70 falls in the middle of the normal range in a man at age 30. Unlike cortisol, DHEA-S does not move with the hour, so the time of the draw matters little; prednisone and other steroids do lower it, because they shut down the brain's order to the adrenal gland. Your report shows DHEA-S in µmol/l, and the band belongs to your age and sex. Where the bands overlap it runs for a man at age 30 from 4.1 to 10.19 µmol/l, at age 50 from 1.9 to 8.4 µmol/l and at age 70 from 1.1 to 5.4 µmol/l; for a woman at age 30 from 1.6 to 6.2 µmol/l, at age 50 from 0.95 to 4.6 µmol/l and at age 70 from 1.7 to 2.4 µmol/l.
Why is DHEA-S relevant?
DHEA-S is the value that says where excess male hormone in a woman comes from. With excess hair growth, acne, an irregular cycle or hair loss on the head there are two sources: the ovaries, which mainly make testosterone, and the adrenal glands, which mainly make DHEA-S. A high DHEA-S points to the adrenal glands. In PCOS it is slightly raised in one in three women; a value far above the band, more than double, is rare and points to an adrenal gland making too much on its own, and that is investigated. The second reason is the distinction from cortisol. Both come from the same adrenal glands, but cortisol follows the clock and DHEA-S does not. Anyone who sees a deviating cortisol can read from DHEA-S whether the adrenal gland as a whole is involved: in Addison's both are low, with a course of prednisone too, and with a disturbed daily rhythm only cortisol is off. That makes DHEA-S the calm counterpart. The honest limitation is the decline with the years, which many people read as a deficiency. A lower DHEA-S with ageing goes with less muscle strength, bone density and wellbeing, but topping up with DHEA tablets has not reversed that in research in healthy older people, and in women it gives acne, oily skin and excess hair growth. It is a mirror of age, not a lever.
DHEA-S reference ranges
What counts beside the number:
- Your age and sex, because the band shifts every decade and the same value is normal in someone of twenty and high in someone of seventy
- Cortisol from the same draw, which comes from the same adrenal glands but moves with the clock
- Whether you take prednisone, a steroid inhaler or a steroid ointment or have just stopped
- In a woman: testosterone and oestradiol, and symptoms of excess hair growth, acne or an irregular cycle
- Whether you take DHEA supplements, because those lift the value
- With a value far above the band: how fast it rose, because that counts more than the height
There is no national reference value for DHEA-S, and one band for all adults would be the wrong number for almost everyone, because the value falls every decade; the rows above therefore stand at fixed ages, and the chart gives the answer for every age between 18 and 99. Always read the value against your own age and sex, and beside cortisol from the same adrenal glands.
What Dutch labs actually use
No other value in this library is cut as finely by age as DHEA-S. Certe publishes 64 bands, one per two years to 80, separately for men and women; Unilabs and Clinical Diagnostics work in decades, and Star-shl does not carry the test. All three show the same movement: at Unilabs the band for a man aged 20 to 30 runs from 7.6 to 17.4 µmol/l and for a man from 70 from 0.7 to 5.4 µmol/l, and for women that same series sits lower. Clinical Diagnostics breaks that pattern at the end: above sixty the men's ceiling rises again, to 11.0 µmol/l, and for women the floor.
1.6 – 6.2µmol/l
Between 1.2 and 1.6 and between 6.2 and 7.9 it depends on the lab, because each sets its limits on its own method and population. Above 7.9 every lab calls it abnormal.
every lab calls 1.6 – 6.2 µmol/l normal. Between 1.2 and 1.6 and between 6.2 and 7.9 it depends on the lab.
Every age, per lab
| Laboratory | Group | Reference range |
|---|---|---|
| Unilabs(Saltro, Medlon, SHO, Atalmedial)2026 | Men 20 to 30 yrs | 7.6–17.4 µmol/l |
| Men 30 to 40 yrs | 4.1–14.4 µmol/l | |
| Men 40 to 50 yrs | 2.7–11.7 µmol/l | |
| Men 50 to 60 yrs | 1.9–9.2 µmol/l | |
| Men 60 to 70 yrs | 1.1–7.3 µmol/l | |
| Men from 70 yrs | 0.7–5.4 µmol/l | |
| Women 20 to 30 yrs | 1.9–10.3 µmol/l | |
| Women 30 to 40 yrs | 1.2–7.9 µmol/l | |
| Women 40 to 50 yrs | 0.8–6.0 µmol/l | |
| Women 50 to 60 yrs | 0.5–4.6 µmol/l | |
| Women 60 to 70 yrs | 0.4–3.4 µmol/l | |
| Women from 70 yrs | 0.3–2.4 µmol/l | |
| Certe2026 | Women 12 to 18 yrs | 1.63–7.62 µmol/l |
| Women 18 to 20 yrs | 1.59–7.71 µmol/l | |
| Women 20 to 22 yrs | 1.55–7.78 µmol/l | |
| Women 22 to 24 yrs | 1.51–7.84 µmol/l | |
| Women 24 to 26 yrs | 1.47–7.88 µmol/l | |
| Women 26 to 28 yrs | 1.43–7.9 µmol/l | |
| Women 28 to 30 yrs | 1.39–7.91 µmol/l | |
| Women 30 to 32 yrs | 1.43–7.9 µmol/l | |
| Women 32 to 34 yrs | 1.31–7.88 µmol/l | |
| Women 34 to 36 yrs | 1.27–7.84 µmol/l | |
| Women 36 to 38 yrs | 1.23–7.78 µmol/l | |
| Women 38 to 40 yrs | 1.19–7.71 µmol/l | |
| Women 40 to 42 yrs | 1.15–7.52 µmol/l | |
| Women 42 to 44 yrs | 1.11–7.52 µmol/l | |
| Women 44 to 46 yrs | 1.07–7.4 µmol/l | |
| Women 46 to 48 yrs | 1.03–7.26 µmol/l | |
| Women 48 to 50 yrs | 0.99–7.11 µmol/l | |
| Women 50 to 52 yrs | 0.95–6.94 µmol/l | |
| Women 52 to 54 yrs | 0.91–6.76 µmol/l | |
| Women 54 to 56 yrs | 0.87–6.56 µmol/l | |
| Women 56 to 58 yrs | 0.83–6.34 µmol/l | |
| Women 58 to 60 yrs | 0.79–6.11 µmol/l | |
| Women 60 to 62 yrs | 0.75–5.86 µmol/l | |
| Women 62 to 64 yrs | 0.71–5.6 µmol/l | |
| Women 64 to 66 yrs | 0.67–5.32 µmol/l | |
| Women 66 to 68 yrs | 0.63–5.02 µmol/l | |
| Women 68 to 70 yrs | 0.59–4.71 µmol/l | |
| Women 70 to 72 yrs | 0.55–4.38 µmol/l | |
| Women 72 to 74 yrs | 0.51–4.04 µmol/l | |
| Women 74 to 76 yrs | 0.47–3.68 µmol/l | |
| Women 76 to 78 yrs | 0.43–3.3 µmol/l | |
| Women 78 to 80 yrs | 0.39–2.91 µmol/l | |
| Men 12 to 18 yrs | 4.24–11.17 µmol/l | |
| Men 18 to 20 yrs | 3.98–11.03 µmol/l | |
| Men 20 to 22 yrs | 3.73–10.89 µmol/l | |
| Men 22 to 24 yrs | 3.5–10.75 µmol/l | |
| Men 24 to 26 yrs | 3.29–10.61 µmol/l | |
| Men 26 to 28 yrs | 3.08–10.47 µmol/l | |
| Men 28 to 30 yrs | 2.89–10.33 µmol/l | |
| Men 30 to 32 yrs | 2.71–10.19 µmol/l | |
| Men 32 to 34 yrs | 2.54–10.05 µmol/l | |
| Men 34 to 36 yrs | 2.39–9.91 µmol/l | |
| Men 36 to 38 yrs | 2.24–9.77 µmol/l | |
| Men 38 to 40 yrs | 2.1–9.63 µmol/l | |
| Men 40 to 42 yrs | 1.97–9.49 µmol/l | |
| Men 42 to 44 yrs | 1.85–9.35 µmol/l | |
| Men 44 to 46 yrs | 1.73–9.21 µmol/l | |
| Men 46 to 48 yrs | 1.63–9.07 µmol/l | |
| Men 48 to 50 yrs | 1.52–8.93 µmol/l | |
| Men 50 to 52 yrs | 1.43–8.79 µmol/l | |
| Men 52 to 54 yrs | 1.34–8.65 µmol/l | |
| Men 54 to 56 yrs | 1.26–8.51 µmol/l | |
| Men 56 to 58 yrs | 1.18–8.37 µmol/l | |
| Men 58 to 60 yrs | 1.11–8.23 µmol/l | |
| Men 60 to 62 yrs | 1.04–8.09 µmol/l | |
| Men 62 to 64 yrs | 0.97–7.95 µmol/l | |
| Men 64 to 66 yrs | 0.91–7.81 µmol/l | |
| Men 66 to 68 yrs | 0.86–7.67 µmol/l | |
| Men 68 to 70 yrs | 0.8–7.53 µmol/l | |
| Men 70 to 72 yrs | 0.75–7.39 µmol/l | |
| Men 72 to 74 yrs | 0.71–7.25 µmol/l | |
| Men 74 to 76 yrs | 0.66–7.11 µmol/l | |
| Men 76 to 78 yrs | 0.62–6.97 µmol/l | |
| Men 78 to 80 yrs | 0.58–6.83 µmol/l | |
| Clinical Diagnostics2026 | Men 20 to 29 yrs | 4.4–15.2 µmol/l |
| Men 30 to 39 yrs | 3.4–13.1 µmol/l | |
| Men 40 to 49 yrs | 2.6–10.6 µmol/l | |
| Men 50 to 59 yrs | 1.6–8.4 µmol/l | |
| Men from 60 yrs | 1.1–11.0 µmol/l | |
| Women 20 to 29 yrs | 2.2–9.2 µmol/l | |
| Women 30 to 39 yrs | 1.6–6.2 µmol/l | |
| Women 40 to 49 yrs | 1.3–6.7 µmol/l | |
| Women 50 to 59 yrs | 0.9–5.8 µmol/l | |
| Women from 60 yrs | 1.7–3.4 µmol/l |
Each band as the lab publishes it, retrieved in 2026, unless marked otherwise.
DHEA-S high or low: what it means
A low value is usually age, and the first question is which band you set it against. Every band falls with the years, so a value called low in someone of thirty is ordinary in someone of sixty. After that comes prednisone, also as an inhaler or ointment, which shuts down the brain's order to the adrenal gland and lowers DHEA-S together with cortisol; after stopping it recovers in weeks to months. Rare are adrenal glands that make too little, as in Addison's disease, and then cortisol is low too and there are symptoms of tiredness, nausea and low blood pressure. A low DHEA-S in a healthy body is not a finding and no reason to top up. A high value is first a question about the age you compare against, because the same value is normal in someone of twenty and high in someone of seventy. If the value is genuinely raised for your age, that points to the adrenal glands as a source of male hormone. In a woman with excess hair growth, acne or an irregular cycle a slightly raised value is usually PCOS, in which the ovaries and the adrenal glands both make slightly too much. A value far above the band, more than double the upper limit, is rare and fits an adrenal gland making too much on its own, and that is imaged. What you do about it: with a low value from age nothing, and with a low value from prednisone wait until the adrenal glands get going again after stopping. DHEA tablets lift the value but give women acne, oily skin and excess hair growth, and have shown no effect on strength or wellbeing in healthy older people. In PCOS weight, exercise and a diet with few fast sugars are the levers, because insulin resistance drives the production of male hormone, and the pill or drugs that block the hormone are the treatment for the symptoms. A value far above the band should be investigated, even without symptoms. Always read DHEA-S against your age and sex, beside cortisol, which comes from the same adrenal glands but moves with the clock, and in a woman with symptoms of male hormone beside testosterone, which says whether the ovaries are involved, and oestradiol.
What lowers it
Usually age, and the question is which band you compare against.
| Cause | How often |
|---|---|
| AgeThe value peaks between your twenties and thirties and falls steadily after that; all labs lower their band with the years, and women sit lower than men at every age | Often |
| Long-term prednisone usePrednisone, also as an inhaler or ointment, shuts down the brain's order to the adrenal gland and lowers DHEA-S together with cortisol; after stopping it recovers in weeks to months | Sometimes |
| Adrenal glands making too littleIn Addison's disease the adrenal glands fail; then cortisol is low too and there are symptoms of tiredness, nausea and low blood pressure | Rare |
What raises it
First the question which age you compare against, then whether the adrenal glands make too much.
| Cause | How often |
|---|---|
| The age group you compare againstThe same value that comes out above the band in a man at age 70 falls in the middle of the normal range in a man at age 30 | Often |
| Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)In one in three women with PCOS, DHEA-S is slightly raised, beside a raised testosterone from the ovaries; excess hair growth, acne and an irregular cycle go with it | Sometimes |
| A tumour of the adrenal glandA value far above the band, more than double the upper limit, fits an adrenal gland making too much on its own; rare, and imaged with a scan | Rare |
How does a DHEA-S blood test work?
- Referral
- Not needed. You can have DHEA-S measured yourself; note your age on the request, because it belongs to the assessment.
- Fasting
- Not needed; the value does not move with food.
- When
- At any moment of the day, because unlike cortisol DHEA-S does not move with the hour. Skip DHEA supplements for a few days if you want to know your own production.
- The draw
- One tube of blood from a vein in your arm. Cortisol, testosterone and oestradiol come from the same draw; not every lab carries the test, so ask.
- Repeating
- Rarely needed. With a raised value after three months, to see whether it persists; with a low value from prednisone three months after stopping.
- Where to draw
- You can draw at 250+ locations near you, no referral needed. See the locations
Frequently asked questions
What is DHEA-S?
The storage form of DHEA, the hormone your adrenal glands make as a building block for testosterone and oestrogen. The adrenal gland attaches a sulphate group, which keeps it in the blood longer and makes the value stable over the day. It is the hormone circulating in the largest amount in men and women, and in women after the menopause the main source of testosterone.
What is a normal DHEA-S value?
That depends on your age and sex. Where the labs overlap the band runs for a man at age 30 from 4.1 to 10.19 µmol/l, at age 50 from 1.9 to 8.4 µmol/l and at age 70 from 1.1 to 5.4 µmol/l; for a woman at age 30 from 1.6 to 6.2 µmol/l, at age 50 from 0.95 to 4.6 µmol/l and at age 70 from 1.7 to 2.4 µmol/l. The value peaks between your twenties and thirties and falls a good deal every decade after that.
What does a raised DHEA-S mean?
First the question which age you compare against, because the same value is normal in someone of twenty and high in someone of seventy. If the value is genuinely raised for your age, that points to the adrenal glands as a source of male hormone. In a woman with excess hair growth, acne or an irregular cycle that is usually PCOS. A value far above the band, more than double the upper limit, is rare and fits an adrenal gland making too much on its own; that is investigated.
What does a low DHEA-S mean?
Usually age: all labs lower their band with the years, and a value called low in someone of thirty is ordinary in someone of sixty. Prednisone, also as an inhaler or ointment, lowers the value together with cortisol, and after stopping it recovers in weeks to months. Rare are adrenal glands that make too little, as in Addison's disease, and then cortisol is low too. A low DHEA-S in a healthy body is not a finding and no reason to top up.
Why does DHEA-S fall with the years?
Because the adrenal glands steadily wind production down after the peak between your twenties and thirties, to about a fifth around seventy. That is an ordinary ageing process and not a disease. A lower DHEA-S goes with less muscle strength, bone density and wellbeing, but topping up with DHEA tablets has not reversed that in research in healthy older people. The value is a mirror of age, not a lever.
Does a DHEA supplement help?
Not in healthy people. Tablets lift the blood value, but have shown no improvement in strength, bone density or wellbeing in older people, and in women they give acne, oily skin and excess hair growth, because the body makes testosterone from it. The only situation in which topping up has a place is adrenal glands that really fail, and that is set by a doctor.
What is the difference from cortisol?
Both come from the same adrenal glands, but cortisol follows the clock, high in the morning and low in the evening, and DHEA-S does not. That is why the time of the draw matters little for DHEA-S, and why the two side by side show what is daily rhythm and what is store: in Addison's and with prednisone both are low, with a disturbed daily rhythm only cortisol is off.
What does DHEA-S mean in PCOS?
That the adrenal glands are involved. In PCOS the ovaries make too much testosterone, and in one in three women the adrenal glands also make slightly too much DHEA-S. Excess hair growth, acne and an irregular cycle go with it. Weight, exercise and a diet with few fast sugars are the levers, because insulin resistance drives the production of male hormone; the pill or drugs that block the hormone treat the symptoms.
Which tests include DHEA-S?
DHEA-S is part of Advanced, the broader panel. It is not orderable yet.
Related biomarkers
Sources
- 1.Unilabs, test catalogue (Dutch): DHEA sulphate. 2026. bepalingenklapper.nl
- 2.Certe, test catalogue (Dutch): DHEAS. 2026. bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl
- 3.Clinical Diagnostics, lab guide (Dutch): DHEA sulphate. 2026. clinicaldiagnostics.nl
- 4.NHG guideline on amenorrhoea (M58), Dutch College of General Practitioners. 2018. richtlijnen.nhg.org
Educational information only, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for clinical decisions.
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DHEA-S is part of Advanced, the broader panel. It is not orderable yet.
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