Endocrine Pathways Across the Life Course

Abstract Hormones are involved in virtually all physiological systems, including growth, sexual maturation and fertility, metabolism, and circadian rhythms, with a crucial role in the maintenance of women’s health. This chapter provides an overview of the female physiology of the main endocrine axes (gonadal, adrenal, thyroid, and metabolic) and their central regulation. In fact, hormones secretion is finely regulated by hypothalamus–pituitary axis, which is capable of analysing and integrating information from peripherical organs and external environment. The changes in the physiology of each hypothalamus-pituitary axis are analyzed across the woman’s life, from gestation to senescence, with a special focus on pregnancy and on the influence of lifestyle in hormonal status.