DHEA as a miracle drug in the treatment of poor responders; Hype or hope?

Abstract

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is being presented as a miracle-drug for the treatment of women responding poorly to gonadotrophin stimulation, while the debate on its actual effectiveness is still ongoing. We would like to present how insufficient the current evidence of acceptable quality is to warrant a conclusion that DHEA supplementation is an effective treatment for women with diminished ovarian reserve. We believe that large-scale, well-designed confirmatory studies are necessary to prove the efficacy of DHEA before it can be recommended for routine use. © 2011 The Author Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.