Which tests measure Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA)?

Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA) is measured in 1 test on BiomarkersLabs.com, including DHEA, Unconjugated (Dehydroepiandrosterone).

Biomarker Reference · DHEA

What does the Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA) test measure?

Q: What is the reference range for Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA)?

The standard reference range for Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA) is Male: 180–1250 ng/dL (6.24–43.3 nmol/L); Female: 130–980 ng/dL (4.50–33.9 nmol/L) # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm Quest Diagnostics sex-specific and age-stratified reference ranges for unconjugated DHEA — values decline substantially with age and reference intervals are typically reported in age-stratified tiers. The ranges above are broad adult approximations; confirm Quest Diagnostics' age-band breakdown (e.g., 18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60+) and update accordingly. Also confirm whether Quest reports in ng/dL or uses a different primary unit for this analyte.. Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay platform — interpret in context of the issuing laboratory's stated range.

Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA) (DHEA) is a clinical biomarker used in adrenal-stress assessment. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a C19 adrenal androgen precursor steroid produced predominantly by the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex, with minor contributions from the gonads and peripheral tissues via local steroidogenesis. It is measured in 1 laboratory test on BiomarkersLabs.com.

Reference Range: Male: 180–1250 ng/dL (6.24–43.3 nmol/L); Female: 130–980 ng/dL (4.50–33.9 nmol/L) # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm Quest Diagnostics sex-specific and age-stratified reference ranges for unconjugated DHEA — values decline substantially with age and reference intervals are typically reported in age-stratified tiers. The ranges above are broad adult approximations; confirm Quest Diagnostics' age-band breakdown (e.g., 18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60+) and update accordingly. Also confirm whether Quest reports in ng/dL or uses a different primary unit for this analyte.
Units: ng/dL, nmol/L
Measured In: 1 test
Category: Adrenal

Functional medicine optimalAge-adjusted upper tertile of the reference range is the functional medicine target — integrative practitioners typically target levels equivalent to a patient's values at age 25–35 as a personalised anti-ageing reference point. Specific numerical targets depend on the patient's age-stratified reference range. # REVIEWER FLAG: Optimal range for unconjugated DHEA is not standardised across functional medicine literature — reviewer to confirm whether a specific functional optimal range should be cited or whether an age-relative framing is preferable.

What is Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA)?

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a C19 adrenal androgen precursor steroid produced predominantly by the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex, with minor contributions from the gonads and peripheral tissues via local steroidogenesis. Unlike its sulfated counterpart DHEA-S, unconjugated DHEA has a short plasma half-life of approximately 1–3 hours and exhibits pronounced diurnal variation — peaking in the early morning (approximately 08:00 hours) and declining by 50–80% by the late afternoon and evening, following the cortisol diurnal rhythm. DHEA is the precursor substrate for peripheral conversion to testosterone, estradiol, and other active androgens and oestrogens via tissue-specific steroidogenic enzymes expressed in liver, adipose, skin, adrenal, and gonadal tissues. It circulates both free and bound to albumin; approximately 90% is rapidly sulfated to DHEA-S by SULT2A1 in the adrenal gland and liver, making DHEA-S the dominant circulating storage form.

Why is Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA) measured?

Unconjugated DHEA is the biologically active, rapidly fluctuating fraction of adrenal DHEA output and the immediate precursor to active androgens and oestrogens in peripheral tissues. It is clinically distinct from DHEA-S — the sulfated storage form with a 7–10 hour half-life and minimal diurnal variation — in both its measurement stability and its interpretive clinical context. Measurement of unconjugated DHEA is specifically indicated when the clinical question concerns the biologically available, rapidly responding DHEA fraction rather than the integrated long-term adrenal androgen reserve captured by DHEA-S. In functional and integrative endocrinology, DHEA is assessed in the evaluation of adrenal function, HPA axis dysregulation, androgen precursor availability, and biological ageing, with declining DHEA associated with reduced immune resilience, musculoskeletal vitality, mood, and libido across both sexes. In mainstream endocrinology, DHEA-S is generally preferred over unconjugated DHEA due to its greater analytical stability and reduced susceptibility to pre-analytical variability.

Reference ranges

Standard reference: Male: 180–1250 ng/dL (6.24–43.3 nmol/L); Female: 130–980 ng/dL (4.50–33.9 nmol/L) # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm Quest Diagnostics sex-specific and age-stratified reference ranges for unconjugated DHEA — values decline substantially with age and reference intervals are typically reported in age-stratified tiers. The ranges above are broad adult approximations; confirm Quest Diagnostics' age-band breakdown (e.g., 18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60+) and update accordingly. Also confirm whether Quest reports in ng/dL or uses a different primary unit for this analyte.
Functional medicine optimal: Age-adjusted upper tertile of the reference range is the functional medicine target — integrative practitioners typically target levels equivalent to a patient's values at age 25–35 as a personalised anti-ageing reference point. Specific numerical targets depend on the patient's age-stratified reference range. # REVIEWER FLAG: Optimal range for unconjugated DHEA is not standardised across functional medicine literature — reviewer to confirm whether a specific functional optimal range should be cited or whether an age-relative framing is preferable.
Units: ng/dL, nmol/L

Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay platform. Interpret in context of the issuing laboratory's stated range.

Tests that measure Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA)

1 test on BiomarkersLabs.com include this biomarker.

BML-ADR-001Comprehensive

DHEA, Unconjugated (Dehydroepiandrosterone)

Dehydroepiandrosterone, Unconjugated (Free DHEA) reference range in this test: Male: 180–1250 ng/dL (6.24–43.3 nmol/L); Female: 130–980 ng/dL (4.50–33.9 nmol/L) # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm Quest Diagnostics sex-specific and age-stratified reference ranges for unconjugated DHEA — values decline substantially with age and reference intervals are typically reported in age-stratified tiers. The ranges above are broad adult approximations; confirm Quest Diagnostics' age-band breakdown (e.g., 18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60+) and update accordingly. Also confirm whether Quest reports in ng/dL or uses a different primary unit for this analyte.

Related clinical conditions

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