The DHEA-S test measures the sulfated form of DHEA, an androgen precursor made mainly by the adrenal glands. Practitioners use it to assess adrenal androgen output in women with acne, hirsutism or irregular cycles, and as stress and ageing context alongside testosterone. Results depend on age and sex, and glucocorticoids, opioids and androgen use shift them. Practitioners can order it through the Vively practitioner platform.
| Test type | Measured in a blood sample |
|---|---|
| Measurements required | DHEA-S only |
| Sample and collection | Blood draw at a collection centre |
| Preparation | No fasting is needed for this test. |
| Turnaround | About 3 to 5 business days |
| Available through | Hormone Studies. Available in: Full Body Health Check, Male Hormone Health Test, Female Hormone Health Test, Perimenopause Test, Menopause Test. |
| Pricing | Price on sign-up |
| Results | Returned in the Vively practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers |
What are the DHEA-S reference and optimal ranges?
| Typical lab reference | Vively optimal | |
|---|---|---|
| Men 18 to 19 | 1.0 to 6.9 µmol/L | Upper quarter of the range |
| Men 20 to 39 | 3.3 to 17.4 µmol/L | Upper quarter of the range |
| Men 40 to 59 | Use the age-matched range on the client's report | Upper quarter of the lab's age range |
| Men 60 and over | 0.8 to 7.9 µmol/L | Upper quarter of the range |
| Women 18 to 19 | 0.6 to 6.2 µmol/L | Upper quarter, if no signs of androgen excess |
| Women 20 to 39 | 1.2 to 10.3 µmol/L | Upper quarter, if no signs of androgen excess |
| Women 40 to 59 | 0.7 to 6.5 µmol/L | Upper quarter, if no signs of androgen excess |
| Women 60 and over | 0.5 to 5.0 µmol/L | Upper quarter, if no signs of androgen excess |
Ranges are age and sex specific and vary by lab, so read the result against the age-matched range on the client's report (RCPA guidance). The optimal band is not a diagnostic cut-off.
Check a client's DHEA-S result
Enter the value from your client's lab report to see where it sits against the typical lab range and the Vively optimal range.
A guide only, not a diagnosis. One result is a starting point: read it with symptoms, history and a repeat test. Labs differ, so check the result against the range on your client's report. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
How do you arrange DHEA-S testing through Vively?
- Get verified. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Choose a panel. Log in to the practitioner platform and pick a panel that includes DHEA-S, or build your own. Add-on pricing shows when you sign up.
- Client collects. Your client collects at a partner collection centre, with their request on their phone or printed.
- Review results. Results come back to you in the practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers, ready for the follow-up consult.
Which Vively panels include DHEA-S?
Log in to the practitioner platform to view a panel in full, or build and save your own from 100+ tests and panels.
- Log in to view this panelMale Hormone Health Test6 markers · HormonesPrice on sign-up
- Female Hormone Health Test17 markers · HormonesPrice on sign-up
Two blood tests timed to the cycle, to show how hormones shift across it.
Log in to view this panel - Perimenopause Test17 markers · HormonesPrice on sign-up
Two blood tests timed to the cycle: Day 2 to 5 (ideally Day 3), then around Day 21 or 7 days before the next period.
Log in to view this panel
Why does the optimal range sit there?
Our optimal sits in the upper quarter of the age-matched range, as a marker of adrenal reserve, because DHEA-S falls steadily from early adulthood.
In observational cohorts, lower DHEA-S has been linked with higher mortality in older men (Ohlsson et al., 2010).
A randomised trial of DHEA in older adults (Nair et al., 2006) found no meaningful gains in body composition, strength or quality of life. DHEA is a prescription-only medicine in Australia.
An upper-quarter result alongside acne, hirsutism or irregular cycles reads as possible adrenal androgen excess and needs the wider androgen picture.
What should DHEA-S be read with?
- HighHigh DHEA-S, high free testosterone, irregular cycles
Often seen with adrenal androgen excess in PCOS; GP review.
- HighHigh DHEA-S, normal testosterone, client using DHEA
Reflects supplementation; discuss with the prescriber.
- LowLow DHEA-S for age with fatigue, weight loss or low blood pressure
Possible adrenal insufficiency or pituitary disease; needs GP review.
- LowLow DHEA-S in a client on glucocorticoids or opioids
Expected suppression of adrenal androgen output.
What can affect a DHEA-S result?
- Age and sex: always compare with the age-matched band
- DHEA, testosterone or other androgen use
- Glucocorticoids (oral, injected or high-dose inhaled) and opioids, which suppress DHEA-S
- Combined oral contraceptive pill, which can lower adrenal androgens
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding (levels may be lower while breastfeeding)
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- DHEA-S well above the age range, especially with rapid-onset hirsutism, deepening voice or other virilisation
- Low DHEA-S with fatigue, weight loss, dizziness on standing, salt craving or skin darkening
- Irregular or absent periods with high DHEA-S or testosterone
- Any client using DHEA without a prescription
How should a client prepare for a DHEA-S test?
Copy or print this to send to your client.
Preparing for your DHEA-S test
- No fasting is needed for this test.
- Women: if you have periods, book for day 2 to 5 of your cycle, with your other hormone tests. Day 1 is the first day of full bleeding.
- Tell your practitioner if you take DHEA, testosterone or any steroid medicines, as these can change your result.
- Take your pathology request to any of 4,000+ collection centres. Bring it printed or on your phone.
- Keep taking prescribed medicines as usual unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Results usually take about 3 to 5 business days and come to your practitioner. Book your results appointment for after that.
How do practitioners use DHEA-S with clients?
DHEA-S is often read beside cortisol as context for stress load, sleep and recovery. For a low-normal result, address sleep, training load and stress, then retest in 3 to 6 months. Steer clients away from unprescribed DHEA, which can push testosterone into the virilising range in women.
DHEA-S FAQs
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order DHEA-S through Vively?
Yes. Add it to any client panel on the Vively practitioner platform. It sits in Hormone Studies and is also in Full Body Health Check, Male Hormone Health Test and Female Hormone Health Test. Add-on pricing shows when you sign up. No account yet? Request free access.
Is DHEA-S useful for assessing stress?
Only as context. DHEA-S and cortisol both come from the adrenal cortex and shift with chronic stress, illness and ageing, so a low-normal DHEA-S can sit alongside a high stress load. It does not diagnose an adrenal condition, and low values with fatigue, weight loss or dizziness need GP review to exclude adrenal insufficiency.
Does the time of day matter for DHEA-S?
Very little. DHEA-S has a long half-life and stays fairly stable across the day and the menstrual cycle, unlike DHEA and cortisol. For women who cycle, collect on day 2 to 5 so it sits with the other hormones in one draw, and keep timing consistent across retests.
What does a high DHEA-S mean in a woman with irregular cycles?
It may reflect adrenal androgen excess, a pattern often seen in PCOS. Read it with total and free testosterone, SHBG and cycle history. Check for DHEA use, which raises the result. DHEA-S well above the age range, or rapid-onset hirsutism or voice deepening, needs prompt GP review.
Does DHEA-S need an age-matched range?
Yes. DHEA-S falls steadily from early adulthood, so compare each result with the age- and sex-matched band on the client's report rather than a single cut-off. A value that is normal for a 55-year-old would be low for a 25-year-old. Glucocorticoids, opioids and the combined pill can also lower it.
References
- Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. RCPA Manual: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.
- Pathology Tests Explained. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS).
- Nair KS, et al. DHEA in elderly women and DHEA or testosterone in elderly men. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006.
- Ohlsson C, et al. Low serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate predict all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in elderly Swedish men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2010. Source
- Bornstein SR, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of primary adrenal insufficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2016.