• Hu Chen, Zhao Jin, Changliang Sun, SantosHeitor OHOSchool of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU), Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil., and Kord VarkanehHamedHhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7675-4405Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran..
• Department of Pharmacy, Yichun People's Hospital, Yichun, Jiangxi Province, China.
• Int. J. Clin. Pract. 2021 Nov 1; 75 (11): e14698.

Background And AimsDehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation has been investigated in patients with altered cortisol levels and is proposed to ameliorate the metabolic profile related to adipose tissue. However, further research is warranted and evidence is no compelling for liver safety. Hence, we aimed to meta-analyse the effects of DHEA supplementation on circulating levels of cortisol, liver enzymes, and adipokines.MethodsWe searched literature published in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus, until December 2020. We obtained overall results using the generic inverse of variance method with a random-effects model.ResultsThrough 10 arms, serum cortisol levels decreased significantly after DHEA supplementation [weighted mean difference (WMD): -53.581 nmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI): -88.2, -18.9, P = .002], without significant heterogeneity (I2  = 36%, P = .117). In contrast, any significance was noted for adiponectin (WMD: -0.045 µg/mL, 95% CI: -0.56, 0.47; P = .865), leptin (WMD: -2.55 µg/mL, 95% CI: -6.2, 1.06; P = .166), aspartate transaminase (AST) (WMD: -3.7 U/L, 95% CI: -10.35, 2.95; P = .276), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (WMD: -1.7 U/L, 95% CI: -3.45, 0.06; P = .058).ConclusionDHEA supplementation decreased circulating cortisol but did not alter adiponectin, leptin, AST, and ALT levels. Hence, DHEA supplementation could be considered as an adjunct in the management of hypercortisolaemia and is safe for the liver.© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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