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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
DHEA vs Teriparatide: Teriparatide has the stronger overall evidence (7 vs 5.5/10); they're alternatives for bone health — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Teriparatide wins 2 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Probably helps
3 of 5 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
25-50mg for women; 50-100mg for men (start low) (the one cited trial used 50 mg a day in women with adrenal insufficiency, no cited trial studied men, and a cited meta-analysis in postmenopausal women with normal adrenal function found no significant benefit)
Morning (mimics natural rhythm)
Micronized DHEA capsules
20 micrograms once daily by subcutaneous injection (the approved osteoporosis dose; PRESCRIPTION ONLY)
Any time of day
Subcutaneous injection (prefilled pen)
4-8 weeks
8-12 weeks
Over ~18-24 months of daily use
Over ~18-24 months
Detectable by ~3 months
Hours after each dose
Dehydroepiandrosterone for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Journal of neuroscience research (2020) · Meta analysis · n=742
No hormonal changes that indicated any risk to the participants' health were seen.
Hormonal Treatments and Vaginal Moisturizers for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause : A Systematic Review
Annals of internal medicine (2024) · Systematic review
Systematic review of 46 RCTs of at least 8 weeks in postmenopausal women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause, too varied to pool.
TEAS, DHEA, CoQ10, and GH for poor ovarian response undergoing IVF-ET: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E (2023) · Meta analysis · n=2323
Compared with the control group, CoQ10 (OR 2.22, 95% CI: 1.05 to 4.71) and DHEA (OR 1.92, 95% CI: 1.16 to 3.16) had obvious advantages in improving the clinical pregnancy rate.
Effect of parathyroid hormone (1-34) on fractures and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
N Engl J Med (2001) · Rct · n=1637
Pivotal Fracture Prevention Trial: 1637 postmenopausal women with prior vertebral fractures randomized to PTH(1-34) 20 or 40 microg/day or placebo, median 21 months
Effects of teriparatide and risedronate on new fractures in post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis (VERO): a multicentre, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised controlled trial.
Lancet (2018) · Rct · n=1360
Head-to-head double-blind, double-dummy RCT of teriparatide 20 microg/day vs risedronate 35 mg/week in 1360 women with severe osteoporosis over 24 months
Teriparatide or alendronate in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.
N Engl J Med (2007) · Rct · n=428
18-month randomized, double-blind, controlled head-to-head trial in 428 patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
Teriparatide has a higher evidence score (7/10 vs 5.5/10) and wins in 2 of 3 categories.
For bone health, Teriparatide has a higher relevance score (85 vs 72).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.