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Cardiac Endocrine Function and Hormonal Interplay in Pediatrics: From Development to Clinical Implications
Valeria Calcaterra1,2, Savina Mannarino3, Filippo Puricelli3
1Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Insights
The endocrine system and the heart are closely linked throughout life, especially in children. Understanding hormone-heart interactions is key to preventing pediatric heart disease.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Pediatric Cardiology
Background:
- The endocrine system is crucial for heart development and function.
- The heart itself acts as an endocrine organ, producing hormones that regulate cardiovascular processes.
- Hormonal signaling is vital for maintaining homeostasis and proper heart development, particularly in fetal and pediatric stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the endocrine mechanisms governing cardiac development and function in fetal and pediatric life.
- To highlight the heart's intrinsic endocrine activity and its interaction with hormonal signals.
- To underscore the clinical relevance of endocrine-cardiovascular interactions in pediatric heart disorders.
Main Methods:
- This is a narrative review.
- Literature search on endocrine mechanisms in cardiac development and function.
- Focus on fetal and pediatric life, and the heart's endocrine role.
Main Results:
- Hormonal signals are essential for physiological homeostasis and heart development.
- Disruptions in hormonal signaling can precede structural or functional heart disease.
- Endocrine imbalances impact the onset, progression, and prognosis of pediatric cardiac disorders.
Conclusions:
- Understanding age-specific hormone-heart interactions is clinically relevant for pediatric cardiology.
- Early identification of hormonal dysregulation can prevent adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
- Recognizing these patterns can lead to targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for pediatric heart conditions.
Abstract:
The endocrine system plays a pivotal role in all stages of cardiac development and in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the heart. Notably, the heart itself functions as an endocrine organ, producing hormones that regulate blood pressure, fluid balance, and myocardial remodeling. This narrative review explores the endocrine mechanisms underlying cardiac development and function, with a focus on fetal and pediatric life. Special attention is given to the heart's intrinsic endocrine activity and how hormonal signals interact with the cardiovascular system during early development. Hormonal signaling is essential for maintaining physiological homeostasis and supporting proper heart development during growth. Disruptions in these signals may serve as silent precursors to structural or functional heart disease, potentially manifesting later in life. Understanding these interactions is clinically relevant, as endocrine imbalances can contribute to the onset, progression, and prognosis of pediatric cardiac disorders. Early identification of hormonal dysregulation can help prevent or mitigate adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, recognizing age-specific patterns in hormone-heart interactions may enable the development of targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
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