Cortisol / DHEA-S Ratio

Specialist

also —

What it isA ratio of catabolic stress hormone (cortisol) to anabolic adrenal reserve (DHEA-S) that captures the balance between stress and resilience.

DoesIndexes net adrenal output direction — catabolic versus anabolic.

GoodA low ratio signals balanced adrenal with robust reserve.

BadA high ratio reflects chronic stress dominance over reserve and tracks accelerated biological aging, immune dysfunction, and depression.

Standard

No standard cutoff.

Optimal

0.015–0.04 (lower is good)

Modifiers

Driven by both components.

How to optimize

Lifestyle: Stress management, sleep, resistance training.
Diet: Adequate calories.
Supplements: Ashwagandha (600mg/day), DHEA (25–50mg/day if low), phosphatidylserine.
Peptides: —
Drugs: —

within Stress