**2.1.2 Results**

Serum levels of DHEA and DHEA-S were low in both male and female patients with type 2 DM across the entire age range studied, compared to the age-matched normal subjects (Fig.1). IRI was high in all groups before the treatment (Table1). Following a 6-month treatment, FPG and HbA1c improved and IRI decreased in most patients (Table1). In parallel with the improvement of FPG and HbA1c, blood concentrations of DHEA and DHEA-S levels increased to within the normal range in all the groups (Fig.1).


Table 1. Clinical characteristics of type 2 diabetic patients before and after treatment and in age-matched normal subjects.

\**P*< 0.05 compared with values after treatment and with normal values

Fig. 1. Serum DHEA and DHEA-S levels in male and female type 2 diabetic patients before (stippled bars) and after (hatched bars) treatment and in age-matched normal subjects (opena bars).
