DHEA and DHEA-S tests: what each measures and which to order

DHEA and DHEA-S sound like one test. They are two. Lab orders and test menus list them separately, and a result for one cannot stand in for the other. This page explains the difference so you can match the test to the name on your order.

DHEA

The lower-priced of the two tests. Check that your order names this form.

$89

See this test at HealthLabs

Price checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

What each test measures

DHEA-S is a steroid hormone and androgen found in men and women. It is mostly made in the adrenal glands, and it helps the body make testosterone and estrogen. Levels peak around puberty and fall with age (MedlinePlus).

DHEA is the related form without the sulfate. The two differ in how long they last in the blood. A study report from the Rotterdam Study states that DHEAS has a half-life of 10 to 20 hours, while DHEA has a half-life of 1 to 3 hours. It also says DHEA follows a daily pattern similar to cortisol, with a peak in the early morning, while DHEAS is considered not to vary across the day (Rotterdam Study, 2016).

Who might consider it

MedlinePlus says the DHEA-S test is most often used to check adrenal gland function, to diagnose adrenal or testicular disorders, and to find the cause of early or late puberty in boys. It is often ordered with testosterone tests in men.

Men may not have any symptoms of high DHEA-S. Age-related low levels may be linked to lower sex drive or erectile dysfunction, per MedlinePlus. Many other things cause those symptoms, so a DHEA-S result is one piece of a larger workup.

MedlinePlus also notes that over-the-counter DHEA supplements are promoted as anti-aging products, but there is no reliable evidence for those claims and they may cause serious side effects.

Which test to order

Match your clinician’s order. If it says DHEA sulfate or DHEA-S, order that. If it says only DHEA, check with whoever wrote it, because MedlinePlus lists “DHEA” as another name for the DHEA sulfate test. The cheaper test is not automatically the right one.

If you are choosing without an order, ask a clinician which one fits your question. No guideline we cite compares the two for this choice. Our reading of the study above is that a DHEA-S result should depend less on the time of the draw, but that is an inference, not a recommendation.

• DHEA sulfateIf your order names DHEA sulfate or DHEA-S $169 See this test at HealthLabs

Sold by HealthLabs. Prices checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

How to prepare

MedlinePlus says you don’t need any special preparation for a DHEA-S test. The seller’s page for DHEA-S says fasting is not required, but that wording is shared across the seller’s single-test pages, so follow the instructions on your lab order instead. The seller’s DHEA page doesn’t state a fasting rule. Follow your lab order there as well.

Tell the person drawing your blood about the medicines and supplements you take. Don’t stop a prescribed medicine unless your clinician says to.

What a result can and can’t tell you

Labs use different ranges, and DHEA-S changes with age and sex, so read your result against the range printed on your report.

• High DHEA-S may be linked to congenital adrenal hyperplasia or an adrenal tumor. In women, polycystic ovary syndrome is another cause. Rarely, an ovarian tumor is found.
• Low DHEA-S may be linked to Addison disease or hypopituitarism.

MedlinePlus says an abnormal result “may mean there is a problem with your adrenal glands or sex hormones.” It does not say which. Your age, symptoms, medical history and other blood tests all matter, so take the result to a clinician. If your real question is about testosterone, the testosterone test guide is the place to start.