Endocrine Abstracts

There is a reduction in the GH-IGF-1 axis activity with increasing age, but there is evidence that the pool of GH available for release is not diminished in elderly subjects. Furthermore this reduction in GH secretion is not solely responsible for the physical changes associated with ageing. There is a clear distinction between the GH status of normal elderly subjects and elderly subjects with GHD due to hypothalamic-pituitary disease, in whom GH secretion is reduced by more t...

The menopause is an inevitable event and one which is physiologically normal in women. It marks the end of the reproductive phase and is marked by changes in hormone levels and a cessation of menstrual periods. The menopause transition describes the time leading up to a woman’s final period, along with endocrinological, biological and clinical features of the approaching menopause. Removal of both ovaries leads to a sudden surgical menopause. In the UK, the average...

There are a number of endocrine changes which occur during the aging process, including changes in the growth hormone – IGF1 axis, a fall in DHEAS levels, changes in the renin-angiotensin system, and alterations in the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis. Testosterone levels decline with age, with an average decrease in testosterone levels of approximately 1.5% per year. The prevalence of subphysiological testosterone levels is approximately 20% by the age of 50 and 50% by...