Complex changes occur in the human endocrine system with age. First of all, aging is associated with a decrease in the level of growth (somatotropic) hormone, which is released by the pituitary gland. Of particular importance is the drop in the level of sex hormones – estrogens in women and testosterone in men. The picture of hormones involved in the aging process is completed with a decrease in the level of androgens (dehydroepiandrostenedione and its phosphate form), which are produced in the adrenal cortex.
What is the relationship between growth hormone and aging?
The level of growth hormone begins to decrease from the age of 30-40 years. and this happens gradually and slowly over the years. Currently, in many countries, growth hormone is used as an antiaging preparation, but the benefits and harms of its use are not sufficiently understood. In recent years, numerous studies have come out on this subject, disappointing those expecting good news for an anti-aging agent in the face of growth hormone. Indeed, the level of total cholesterol decreases significantly when growth hormone is taken by adults, but at the same time there is an increase in blood pressure and blood sugar with a greater tendency to develop diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance. The possibility of increasing the risk of developing tumor diseases has not yet been ruled out. Fluid retention, edema, diffuse joint pain and gynecomastia (breast enlargement in men) are often observed. In other words, to the best of our knowledge at this point, we have no reason to recommend growth hormone as a hormonal antiaging agent.
What is the connection between sex hormones and aging?
The male sex hormone – testosterone – is mainly produced in the testicles. Its amount in the blood begins to decrease gradually from the age of 40. age. Characteristic for older men is the loss of the circadian (day and night) rhythmicity in the secretion of testosterone typical of young men. It should be mentioned that unlike menopause in women, hormonal changes in men that occur with age have long remained poorly studied. Therefore, WHO in 2000 devoted a considerable part of his efforts to this subject. Recently, there is more talk about the so-called klimakteriumvirile or male climacteric. Epidemiological studies in Europe show that every third man over the age of 55 is affected by it. Complaints are nonspecific and would rarely lead to a doctor’s visit. It refers to scattered vegetative complaints, impaired concentration ability, weakened memory, feeling of fatigue, reduced muscle strength, increased irritability, reduced load endurance, diffuse muscle and joint complaints, sweating (especially at night), sometimes insomnia, reduced libido and potency, loss of morning erection. Behavioral changes are also observed, such as a decrease in the desire to work and to undertake undertakings of a different nature, depressive moods become more frequent.
When is replacement therapy necessary?
Then, when the subjective complaints mentioned above are present and a significant drop in the testosterone level below the lower limit of the norm is proven, replacement treatment is applied. The use of testosterone among adult men increases the general sense of health, improves muscle strength and tone of the body, enhances hematopoiesis, improves mental health, libido and potency, gives youthful freshness to the skin and, most importantly, increases the mineral density of the bones, preventing the development of osteoporosis. . Men who have not only a reduced level of testosterone, but also an increased level of gonadotropic hormones (LH, FSH) respond particularly well to the therapy.
It is extremely important not to practice self-medication! The level of testosterone in the blood is raised only to the lower limit of the norm, and it is not aimed to obtain in 60-year-old men values that are characteristic of 20-year-olds. The presence of relevant contraindications for testosterone treatment, such as suspected prostate cancer, breast cancer, polyglobulia (increased number of red blood cells), liver diseases, etc., must also be taken into account. When administering testosterone, it is necessary to periodically control the level of this hormone in the blood, as well as the level of PSA (prostate-specific antigen), liver parameters (transaminases), lipid profile and blood count (hemoglobin, hematocrit and erythrocytes).
What are the future expectations?
Recommendations for hormone replacement therapy in men in different countries are somewhat contradictory. Since the completion of the Women’sHealthInitiative study (discussed below) in 2002, the question of the long-term effect of testosterone on life expectancy and the possible increase in cardiovascular disease, as found with the hormone
