open access

Vol 70, No 6 (2019)
Original paper
Submitted: 2019-04-19
Accepted: 2019-07-29
Published online: 2019-09-17
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Gonadotropins and steroid hormones in older people: their mutual connections and relations to body mass indices

Marek Pawlikowski (Łódź)1, Tomasz Kostka2, Hanna Pisarek3, Agnieszka Guligowska2, Jacek Świętosławski3, Łukasz Kroc2, Bartłomiej Sołtysik2, Katarzyna Winczyk3
·
Pubmed: 31529456
·
Endokrynol Pol 2019;70(6):484-488.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Immunoendocrinology, Chair of Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
  2. Department of Geriatrics, Chair of Geriatrics, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
  3. Department of Neuroendocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland

open access

Vol 70, No 6 (2019)
Original Paper
Submitted: 2019-04-19
Accepted: 2019-07-29
Published online: 2019-09-17

Abstract

Introduction: Aging in mammals, including man, is accompanied by deep changes in hormone secretion. In the majority of cases, hormone secretion (mostly of gonadal steroids and adrenocortical hormone dehydroepiandrosterone — DHEA) undergoes pronounced decrease. This decrease is thought to contribute to the progression of aging. In contrast, the secretion of gonadotropins is sharply increased in older adults, as a result of gonadal deficiency. Recent data indicate that gonadotropin excess may also, by itself, influence the aging process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mutual relation between steroid hormones and gonadotropins and their effect on body mass indices in older people.

Material and methods: In a group of 100 patients (61 women and 39 men) aged over 75 years, blood serum concentrations of folliclestimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), oestradiol (E2), testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAs), and cortisol were measured. All the patients were measured for the following: body weight (kg), body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR). The differences of the numerical data were evaluated by Student’s t-test and the correlations between them by means of Pearson’s test.

Results and conclusions: The most interesting finding of this study was to show that FSH and LH are negatively correlated with body mass and indices such as BMI and WtHR in older women. Because in older women the mediation of ovary is unlikely, we conclude that gonadotropins may influence the body mass by their direct extra-gonadal action.

Abstract

Introduction: Aging in mammals, including man, is accompanied by deep changes in hormone secretion. In the majority of cases, hormone secretion (mostly of gonadal steroids and adrenocortical hormone dehydroepiandrosterone — DHEA) undergoes pronounced decrease. This decrease is thought to contribute to the progression of aging. In contrast, the secretion of gonadotropins is sharply increased in older adults, as a result of gonadal deficiency. Recent data indicate that gonadotropin excess may also, by itself, influence the aging process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mutual relation between steroid hormones and gonadotropins and their effect on body mass indices in older people.

Material and methods: In a group of 100 patients (61 women and 39 men) aged over 75 years, blood serum concentrations of folliclestimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), oestradiol (E2), testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAs), and cortisol were measured. All the patients were measured for the following: body weight (kg), body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR). The differences of the numerical data were evaluated by Student’s t-test and the correlations between them by means of Pearson’s test.

Results and conclusions: The most interesting finding of this study was to show that FSH and LH are negatively correlated with body mass and indices such as BMI and WtHR in older women. Because in older women the mediation of ovary is unlikely, we conclude that gonadotropins may influence the body mass by their direct extra-gonadal action.

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Keywords

human aging; gonadotropins; testosterone; oestradiol; DHEAs; cortisol; body mass indices

About this article
Title

Gonadotropins and steroid hormones in older people: their mutual connections and relations to body mass indices

Journal

Endokrynologia Polska

Issue

Vol 70, No 6 (2019)

Article type

Original paper

Pages

484-488

Published online

2019-09-17

Page views

1475

Article views/downloads

727

DOI

10.5603/EP.a2019.0037

Pubmed

31529456

Bibliographic record

Endokrynol Pol 2019;70(6):484-488.

Keywords

human aging
gonadotropins
testosterone
oestradiol
DHEAs
cortisol
body mass indices

Authors

Marek Pawlikowski (Łódź)
Tomasz Kostka
Hanna Pisarek
Agnieszka Guligowska
Jacek Świętosławski
Łukasz Kroc
Bartłomiej Sołtysik
Katarzyna Winczyk

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