Aging and The Endocrine Glands

The average length of human life is currently 75-78 years and may increase to 85 years during the coming 10 years (Fries et al., 1992) but it is not clear whether these additional years will be satisfactory. Most data indicate a modest gain in the number of healthy years lived but a far greater increase in years of compromised physical, mental and social function (Champion et al., 2000). The number of days with restricted activity and admissions to hospitals and nursing home increases sharply after 70 years of old (Kosorok et al., 1992). The United States (U.S.) National Health Interview Survey indicated that more than 25 million aging people suffer from physical impairment and the number of persons requiring assistance with activities of daily living increases from 14% at ages 65 to 75 years to 45% in people older than age 85 years (Brody et al., 1999).With aging, many aspects of the endocrine system change. Some endocrine organs and axes become hypoactive, some change little or not at all, and a few become hyperactive (Paul et al., 2007). These diverse changes result from changes in hormone production and secretion rates, metabolic clearance rates and tissue responsiveness or sensitivity (Resnick et al., 2005).The.