Dehydroepiandrosterone Supplementation in Elderly Men: A Meta-Analysis Study of Placebo-Controlled Trials

Context: Age-related dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) deficiency has been associated with a broad range of biological abnormalities in males. Object: Our objective was to meta-analyze all double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of oral DHEA (DHEA supplementation) in comparison with placebo on sexual and metabolic outcomes in elderly men. Data Source: An extensive Medline Embase and Cochrane search was performed including the following words: DHEA, RCTs, and males. Study Selection: Only double-blind placebo-controlled trials performed in elderly men were included. Data Extraction: Data extraction was performed independently by 2 of the authors (A.S. and V.G.), and conflicts were resolved by the third investigator (G.C.). The quality of RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane criteria. Results: Of 220 retrieved articles, 25 were included in the study. The available RCTs enrolled 1353 elderly men, with a mean follow-up of 36 weeks. DHEA supplementation was associated with...