For some women who are older and have poor ovarian function, doctors sometimes recommend taking oral DHEA to improve ovarian function. So, what is DHEA? Why can it improve ovarian function? DHEA is secreted by the adrenal cortex, central nervous system and ovarian follicular membrane cells, and can be converted into active androgens and estrogens with weak androgenic activity in the surrounding tissues. Mechanisms by which DHEA improves ovarian follicular function: 1. DHEA can improve the ovarian microenvironment and affect follicular growth in the early stages. 2. reduce the rate of embryonic aneuploidy. DHEA can reduce the risk of age-associated chromosomal aneuploidy by affecting chromosome segregation during meiosis, thereby potentially improving the quality of some embryos and increasing pregnancy rates. In layman’s terms, for older women, it can reduce the risk of abnormal embryo development. 3, DHEA is a steroid hormone synthesis substrate, if DHEA level is abnormally low, it may lead to low hormone level in the body. 4. Inducing the production of FSH receptors on granulosa cells and increasing the sensitivity of granulosa cells to FSH. Simply put, DHEA promotes more follicle recruitment and also promotes follicle growth and development. Overall, DHEA may have some improvement effect on some women with poor ovarian function, however, its improvement effect is not a step in the right direction and needs to be taken under the guidance of a doctor.