What is it?

Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate (DHEAS) helps to evaluate adrenal gland function and investigate concerns of adrenal tumours. It can also explain conditions of virilisation, i.e. visible effects of predominantly male hormones in women, excess of facial and body hair (hirsutism) in women or symptoms of early puberty in men.

Reference ranges

If your indicative DHEAS concentration is lower than the reference range for our laboratory:

Low concentrations of DHEAS may be due to adrenal dysfunction or hypopituitarism. It can be due to a condition that causes decreased levels of the pituitary hormones by the pituitary gland, which in turn regulate the production adrenal hormones.

You can discuss this result with your GP.

If your indicative DHEAS is higher than the reference range for our laboratory:

Increased concentrations of DHEAS are not a diagnostic tool for a specific condition and do not point at one.

High levels may indicate adrenal cancer or adrenal hyperplasia, but generally it is an indication of a hormonal imbalance that can be investigated further and looked at together with other hormonal markers.

You can discuss this result with your GP.