Herbert, age 66 Two of my healthiest patients ( humans, not cats! Herman, age 65
Back in 2006 two of my previously healthy, unmedicated male patients, Herman, aged 65 and Herbert, aged 66, developed “multiple extrasystoles” (random, extra heartbeats) at the same time. The 65YO was a light smoker (5-7 cigarettes per day) and had a couple of beers per day, while the 66YO didn’t smoke, or take alcohol. Both had normal blood tests (except for low DHEA levels), chest Xrays and EKGs.
At the time, I had just started prescribing DHEA, so I advised them to take DHEA. Herman started taking it right away, but Herbert didn’t.
Herbert, THE 66-YEAR-OLD
Herbert continued to have multiple extrasystoles and progressed to fibrillation in 2009.
A “defibrillation” (electric shocks to his heart) was done to reset his heart rhythm, and had to be repeated in 2010, when the fibrillation came back.
Later on he had to have a pacemaker put in, for recurrent fibrillation, in spite of multiple-drug treatment.
In 2014 three of his heart arteries plugged up and he got three stents put in.
Eventually, in Y2000, he needed a quadruple heart-artery bypass by open-heart surgery.
Now aged 83, he says that he is doing well. That sounds great, but let’s compare his experience with that of the 65YOld…..
Herman, THE 65-YEAR-OLD
Herman started DHEA, 100mg per day, in August of 2006.
He took 100mg until the summer of 2017, when he developed the only male side-effect of DHEA: breast enlargement and tender breast cysts.
That was terrible, but the problem went away ten days after he reduced his dose to 50mg.
He has continued taking 50mg of DHEA per day ever since.*
In March of 2000, at the age of 81, Herman had a brief runny nose, then “Covid toes”. Then later on he developed a combination of super-itchy rash, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat.
He seemed to improve slowly and he figured the symptoms were from “long Covid’, so he waited.
The skin itch improved with a cortisone-type cream called “Liderm”, prescribed by a dermatologist in December of 2020, but the heavy breathing and fast heartbeat continued.
In April of 2021 he saw a cardiologist and a respirologist and had an EKG, a chest xray, echocardiogram, exercise stress test with Persantine and a CAT scan of the chest with “contrast” angiogram. All tests were normal and the Cardiologist said “This 82YO’s heart is perfect, with no evidence of disease in the arteries or any other abnormality”.
MESSAGE
So, at least based on these two cases, Restoring DHEA to more youthful levels through per-oral supplementation, or transdermal cream, can protect the the heart from major cardiovascular risk factors which lead to blockage of the heart’s arteries.
MY OPINION
In my opinion, keeping your DHEA close to “25YO level” is the best thing you can do for your body.
If acne, oily skin or hair-on-the-chin begin to bother you when you take it, reduce your intake, but don’t stop it altogether.
The other hormones, vitamins and minerals, exercise etc. are important, certainly, but
DHEA supplementation is a “must”.
OTHER SUPPLEMENTS
The 65yo took DHEA by itself until 2014, so it is safe to say that it was the DHEA that stopped the extra heartbeats.
He started adding vitamins and other supplements in 2014. Now (2023) he takes 5000iu of VitD, 2 Grams of Vitamin C, 1mg of Vitamin B9, a multivite/multimineral pill, 200 mg of Magnesium BisGlycinate, 600 mg of NAC (a mitochondrial support molecule), Fish oil and Primrose oil pills, 100 milligrams of Nattokinase, 50 mg of Progesterone, and 10mg of Melatonin.
He exercises in a gym and maintains a BMI of 25.5 – to – 26.
He reduced cigarette consumption from 5-7 per day, to 2-3 per day, in 2021 and it takes very little alcohol.
