DHEA-SDHEA sulphate · Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate
An adrenal hormone that acts as raw material for sex hormones.
DHEA sulphate is produced mainly by the adrenal glands and is the most abundant circulating steroid hormone. It is largely a precursor: tissues convert it into testosterone and oestrogens as needed.
It matters as a measure of adrenal output, and because its level falls steadily with age from a peak in early adulthood, which is why it appears in discussions of biological ageing. That decline is normal rather than a deficiency in itself.
In practice the sulphated form is measured because it is far more stable through the day than DHEA itself, and it is read alongside the sex hormones rather than as a standalone number.