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Taking testosterone and DHEA supplements for ageing is a waste of time and money - they have no effect, researchers say. The fountain of youth is still dry - its spouts waiting for a true anti-ageing product. Two hopes have been testosterone and DHEA supplements. DHEA is used by the body as raw material for testosterone and both hormones decline with age. That's led some people to claim that this is a cause of some of the effects of ageing such as weakened muscles and a lack of wellbeing. But a trial has come up with negative results. A group of healthy older men with low testosterone levels were given either testosterone as patch, DHEA or placebo. A group of older women were just given DHEA or placebo. On a wide range of measures from sugar metabolism to exercise capacity to body fat and muscle, the results showed no effects from the supplements. It's not the first time there's been disappointing findings on DHEA, so its promise seems well and truly spent. As for testosterone in healthy men whose testicles are still making the hormone, it's probably not worth trying.
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