Role of the hypothalamus in the aging woman

Relationships between the hypothalamus and the pituitary in the aging woman are discussed under the following subheadings: synthesis and release of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones, estrogen receptors, other releasing factors, neurotransmitters, and the mechanisms of hot flushes and migrainoid headaches. The hypothalamus is the main regulator of pituitary function. In the female the hypothalamic-pituitary axis appears to remain functionally intact well into old age.