Optimal level Question

[timzjp]

I have been doing a lot of looking around this site for some time. I'm curious to find out, which I have used the search box to locate. Is there an OPTIMAL level sheet that list Vitamin D, DHEA etc and does it matter if you get blood work from LabCorp or Quest.
I have seen anything from 300 on one page to 500-600 on another for DHEA.
I completely understand that you shouldn't look just at the numbers, But very curious as to what an OPTIMAL range would be.
Thanks In Advance,

 

[Vince]

You need your levels checked for DHEA, I supplement with 25mg every morning. Here's a copy of my last labs, when I was supplementing with 35mg of DHEA.
Vince's latest labs 4/10/17
https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?10351-Vince-s-latest-labs-4-10-17

 

[timzjp]

Thanks for the reply Vince.
I had my levels checked and they are 314 on a 71-375 range. After searching excelmale I see optimal ranges fro 300-400 and some that say 500-600. I'm just trying to see if I can narrow it down a bit. Again I'm not chasing numbers, I'm just curious as to why the big difference. I supplement with Life extension @ 25 mg per day to get these levels. I wonder if another 25mg would be too much.

 

[Vince Carter]

The different ranges come from different labs, for instance, Quest and Labcorp have different ranges. Those ranges are derived from the population that the lab tests. No scientist or Dr has established that 71-375 or any other range, is optimal or even healthy. 50mg DHEA...too much in my book, can and does tend to shunt over to Estradiol in many guys. I wouldn't advise more than 25 if you're tolerating it well.

 

[ScottM]

Yes! This. This is important to understand. The ranges you see are "reference" ranges based on the weighted averages of the population tested. It is not some magical number based on years and years of scientific research that makes you feel at optimal health when the levels are achieved. That is why you'll see some discussions on here focused around declining T and rising E in the population due to environmental and lifestyle factors causing reference ranges to be lower than what is therapeutically beneficial and why it is a PITA to get on therapy via insurance or at your GP, Uro, etc.

Are your levels on the lower end of "normal" but you're showing signs/symptoms of low DHEA? Then my informal non medical advice is to consider supplementation, but also consider all the other ddx (differential diagnoses) and try to tweak those lifestyle factors first as those are much less likely to shunt to E and hey, they're free.

Get your levels tested, see how you compare to the reference range, but also look at how you feel, what other levels might be impacting you, etc. Is your T level normal, but your SHBG off? That kind of thing.

-Scott
-Telthera

The different ranges come from different labs, for instance, Quest and Labcorp have different ranges. Those ranges are derived from the population that the lab tests. No scientist or Dr has established that 71-375 or any other range, is optimal or even healthy. 50mg DHEA...too much in my book, can and does tend to shunt over to Estradiol in many guys. I wouldn't advise more than 25 if you're tolerating it well.