Age-associated (cardio)metabolic diseases and cross-talk between adipose tissue and skeleton: endocrine aspects

Aged individuals continue to increase in number, and it is important to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of age-related changes in order to develop interventions that could contribute to "successful aging". Metabolic and hormonal factors, age-related changes in body composition, and a decline in physical activity are all involved in the tendency to lose muscle mass, to gain fat mass, and, also, to experience bone loss. Obesity, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis are important widespread health problems that lead to high prevalence of both mortality and morbidity. Indeed, during the last decades, obesity and osteoporosis have become a major health threat around the world. Aging increases the risk of developing obesity, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and, also, cardiovascular diseases. A reduction of both bone and muscle mass with a corresponding increase of fat mass and inflammation and hormonal imbalance in the elderly lead to and may synergistically increase cardiovascular diseases. This review will focus on the relationship among these different medical situations, trying to clarify the cellular and molecular mechanisms.