Hormones and Aging

Hormones and Aging describes changes with aging in a wide spectrum of secretory functions including:Hormones from classical endocrine glands and hormone-like secretionsChemical mediators from diffuse cells within several systems, particularly the nervous and the immune systemsThe book is comprised of three parts. The first reviews changes in hormonal functions that occur in humans from youth to old age under conditions of normal aging. It focuses on the menopause, changes in body composition and muscle mass, decline in metabolic rate, and alterations of oxidative metabolism. The second part examines the pathological consequences of aging associated hormonal changes. It focuses on diabetes, osteoporosis, altered responses to stress, and cancer. The pathophysiology of these diseases is evaluated in the light of state-of-the-art biomedical advances, including molecular and genetic advances. Major preventive and therapeutic interventions are outlined, in particular the role of hormonal replacement therapy, growth promoting and cancer inhibiting substances, and influence of nutrition. The third part discusses the relation of hormones to other systems, such as the nervous and immune systems, and their implications for the etiology of the aging process itself. It focuses on neuroendocrine and immunoendocrine theories of aging, molecular mechanisms of senescent cell responses, and receptor responses. The book primarily considers humans, but also provides in vivo studies from uni- and pluri-cellular complex animal organisms, as well as from cultured cells in vitro. Contributors provide a lucid, easily understood, and well-organized text that presents a concise review of a large variety of topics, integrating basic and clinical information. It also contains 141 illustrations and tables. Hormones and Aging represents a timely and useful contribution to a rapidly expanding field of chemical mediators and aging.