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Published on: February 12, 2018
Reproductive aging and its consequences for general health
Michael L Traub1, Nanette Santoro
1Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|August 27, 2010
Summary
Reproductive aging involves hormonal shifts beyond reproduction, impacting overall health. These endocrine changes affect multiple axes and have significant health consequences.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Reproductive Medicine
- Gerontology
Background:
- Reproductive aging is characterized by endocrine shifts, including hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and amenorrhea.
- These changes impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and are linked to alterations in the adrenal androgen and somatotropic axes.
- Age-related declines in hormonal axes, particularly the somatotropic axis, are well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the complex interplay between reproductive aging and endocrine system changes.
- To investigate the biochemical identification of these changes irrespective of clinical symptoms.
- To understand the implications of these hormonal shifts on overall health maintenance.
Main Methods:
- Biochemical analysis to identify endocrine changes.
- Review of existing literature on reproductive aging and hormonal axes.
- Correlation of hormonal axis changes with clinical manifestations and health outcomes.
Main Results:
- Reproductive aging involves biochemical endocrine changes affecting multiple hormonal axes.
- The somatotropic axis shows a notable decline with reproductive aging.
- Interactions with the adrenal androgen axis are complex and influenced by early age-related declines.
- Exogenous hormonal therapy has yielded inconsistent results in ameliorating these declines.
Conclusions:
- Endocrine changes during reproductive aging are multifaceted, involving multiple hormonal axes.
- These age-specific hormonal shifts have significant implications for metabolism, cardiovascular health, cognition, bone density, and mortality.
- Further research is needed to understand the full impact and potential interventions for these changes.
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