Functional Endocrinology of Aging

One of the most demanding aspects regarding the endocrinology of aging is to determine the extent to which hormones change with age, independent of age-related pathologies, and the clinical significance of these changes. The emphasis of the present volume is on function, as it is of particular interest to many nonspecialists under what circumstances endocrine therapy may be useful in the elderly. For this purpose, leading investigators in their respective fields review the most important hormonal systems affected by aging. Furthermore, to facilitate the utility of the reviews particularly for nonspecialists, the book emphasizes the critical analysis of specific issues: The extent to which the hormones considered really do change with age, especially in humans; the physiological significance and the causes of these changes; and the prospects for treatment. Additionally, this volume also includes reviews on subjects such as cytokines, the sympathetic nervous system and leptin, which have not been traditionally considered in reviews of endocrine systems. However, while the concept of hormone replacement in the elderly is promising, as the chapters in the present volume indicate, much more research is necessary to determine under what circumstances such therapy is appropriate rather than counterproductive.