DHEA-S test

A hormone from the adrenal glands that the body turns into other hormones.

€22.83. You pay at the desk, not online.

DHEA-S test: what it is for

DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate) is a hormone made almost entirely by the adrenal glands. Your body uses it as a reserve to make male and female hormones. It peaks in young adulthood and then falls, year after year. It is not the same as the DHEA supplement, although the supplement raises it.

When it is done

Doctors mostly order it for women with signs of too many male hormones: extra hair on the face and body, acne that will not clear, irregular periods, thinning hair. It is used when looking for polycystic ovary syndrome, usually when testosterone is not raised.

It is also tested when these signs appear quickly or are very marked, to rule out an adrenal tumour, which is rare. In children, when puberty seems to start too early. And in adrenal and pituitary conditions.

How the DHEA-S test is done

It is a blood test, done at a Bianalisi lab without a prescription. You can add other tests to the same draw.

Questions about the DHEA-S test.

Do I need to fast for the DHEA-S test? Follow your lab’s instructions on timing and fasting.

How much does the DHEA-S test cost? €22.83, from Bianalisi’s private list for Lombardy. You pay at the desk on the day of the draw, not online.

Do I need a prescription for the DHEA-S test? No. You book it here without a prescription and pay at the Bianalisi desk.

When do results arrive? Within 10 working days, in the Rosa app, with each value next to the lab’s interval. The report a doctor approves is in the Rosa membership.