Balancing hormonal shifts: exploring the impact of ageing and dietary restriction.

In the recent Scientific Statement of the Endocrine Society, Anne R Cappola and colleagues presented a comprehensive overview of ageing's impact on various hormonal axes, highlighting crucial areas for future research. 1 Cappola AR Auchus RJ El-Hajj Fuleihan G et al. Hormones and aging: an endocrine society scientific statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023; 108: 1835-1874 Crossref PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar As individuals age, all major endocrine systems undergo simultaneous adjustments. Typically, following the peak secretion experienced in puberty or early adulthood, there is a steep decline in serum concentrations of growth hormone (secretion amplitude), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), and triiodothyronine. Conversely, cortisol and insulin levels and insulin resistance measures tend to rise with age. 1 Cappola AR Auchus RJ El-Hajj Fuleihan G et al. Hormones and aging: an endocrine society scientific statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023; 108: 1835-1874 Crossref PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar The extent to which these alterations are caused or contribute to the molecular, metabolic, physical, and cognitive adaptations associated with accelerated ageing and its comorbid conditions remains to be fully understood.