When clinicians measure salivary cortisol and DHEA (DHEA-S) to assess stress and HPA axis function, it is common to find DHEA levels below the reference range in a number of individuals. A common explanation for the depletion of DHEA and other hormones (e.g., progesterone, testosterone) due to chronic stress is the phenomenon known as "pregnenolone steal." The pregnenolone steal notion states that…
Tags: HPA Axis, Hormone Balance, Stress, Pregnenolone Steal, Adrenal and Cortisol
