Impact of Prasterone on Cardiometabolic Indicators in Perimenopausal Women.

May 20, 2026 updated by: Lorena del Rocio Ibarra Reynoso, Universidad de Guanajuato
Perimenopause is the natural transition period towards menopause, in which the ovarian reserve begins to decrease, and the woman loses her fertility. It usually starts around the age of 40 and has a variable duration. It has been identified that the decrease in estrogen levels leads to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular complications, such as metabolic syndrome. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that converts to testosterone and estrogen and is mainly associated with age-related changes in cardiovascular tissues and metabolism, among others. This hormone declines with age, contributing to the development of age-related disorders, such as cardiovascular disease. In theory, DHEA has beneficial effects in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism and in ameliorating obesity. It is hypothesized that DHEAS and cardiovascular disease may share causal pathways, for example, nitric oxide synthesis and endothelial cell damage. In addition, it has been observed that the administration of DHEA significantly reduces the level of triglycerides and improves insulin sensitivity. There are few studies focused on the perimenopause stage and none of them focused on the prevention of cardiometabolic risk. Therefore, evaluating the impact of prasterone on cardiometabolic indicators in premenopausal women is essential.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Perimenopause is the natural transition period towards menopause, in which the ovarian reserve begins to decrease, and the woman loses her fertility. It usually starts around the age of 40 and has a variable duration. It has been identified that the decrease in estrogen levels leads to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular complications, such as metabolic syndrome. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that converts to testosterone and estrogen and is primarily associated with age-related changes in cardiovascular tissues, female fertility, and metabolism, among others. This hormone gradually declines with age, contributing to the development of age-related disorders, such as cardiovascular disease. In theory, DHEA has beneficial effects in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism and in ameliorating obesity. Previous studies have shown that DHEA is inversely associated with cholesterol levels, obesity, and diabetes, playing an important preventive role in cardiovascular disease. It is hypothesized that DHEAS and cardiovascular disease may share causal pathways, for example, nitric oxide synthesis and endothelial cell damage. Some studies in premenopausal women found inverse correlations between serum DHEA concentrations and body weight. Besides. It has been observed that the administration of DHEA significantly reduces the level of triglycerides and improves insulin sensitivity. A meta-analysis showed that DHEAS was lower in patients with coronary disease, therefore, it is suggested that low levels of DHEAS may be a risk factor for coronary disease, affecting quality of life, and increasing the risks that predispose to metabolic diseases. Most of the studies where DHEA is administered are focused on the menopause stage, there being few studies focused on the perimenopause stage and none of them on the prevention of Cardiometabolic risk. For this reason, it is important to carry out studies to find out the effects that prasterone has on cardiometabolic indicators and that can contribute to the understanding of these processes before menopause appears. This study was conducted in 25 women older than 42 years in the perimenopausal stage, with no history of breast cancer, hormonal replacement therapy , morbid obesity, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes mellitus. They were prescribed 50mg/day of prasterone for a period of 2 months, making 3 measurements (baseline, one month and two months). Anthropometric (weight, height, waist and hip circumference) and biochemical (glucose and cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL and VLDL) variables were evaluated, as well as blood pressure. Cardiometabolic risk predictors were evaluated, such as the triglyceride-glycemia index, the triglyceride/HDL-C index, the waist-height index (WHtR), the cardiometabolic index, the Lipid Accumulation Product and visceral adiposity index.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
25

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Mexico
    • Guanajuato
      • Mexico City, Guanajuato, Mexico, 36000
        • Universidad de Guanajuato

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • with no history of breast cancer, HRT, morbid obesity, cardiovascular disease, or DM.

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Prasterone prescription
The participantes were prescribed 50mg/day of prasterone for a period of 2 months, making 3 measurements (0, 4 and 8 weeks)
Drug: Prasterone 50 milligram
The participants were prescribed 50mg/day of prasterone for a period of 2 months, making 3 measurements (0, 4 and 8 weeks)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiometabolic risk
Time Frame: Two months
The primary objective is to assess the impact of oral DHEA therapy in perimenopausal women on cardiometabolic indicators.
Two months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiometabolic risk
Time Frame: 0, 4 and 8 weeks

Assessing the effects of oral dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) therapy using the following indices:

  1. Triglyceride-Glucose Index (insulin resistance) Formula: ln [fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)] / 2
  2. Triglyceride HDL-Cholesterol Index (HDL-C = high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) (Dyslipidemia; correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and metabolic syndrome) Formula: Triglycerides / HDL-cholesterol
  3. Waist-to-Height Ratio (Abdominal obesity) Formula: Waist circumference (cm) / Height (cm)
  4. Cardiometabolic Index (The relationship between total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol) Formula: Waist-to-height ratio (cm) × [Triglycerides / HDL-cholesterol ((mg/dL)]
  5. Lipid Accumulation Product Index (Oxidative) Formula: [Waist circumference (cm) - 58] × Triglycerides (mg/dL)
  6. Visceral Adiposity Index Formula: { Waist circumference (cm) / [ 36.58 + (1.89 × body mass index (kg/m) ] } × { (Triglycerides (mg/dL) / 0.81) × (1.52 / HDL-cholesterol (mg/dL)) }
0, 4 and 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Universidad de Guanajuato

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Lorena Ibarra Reynoso, PhD, Universidad de Guanajuato

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

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Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 10, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 20, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 10, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 1, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CIBIUG-P38-2016

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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