Age-Related Changes in the Endocrine System

Age-Related Changes in the Endocrine System

Changes occur in both the production of hormones and in the receptors in target tissue that bind these hormones. Some hormonal levels are increased, while others remain unchanged or are decreased. For example, the sex hormones (testosterone in males and estrogen in females) are decreased, with resul-tant atrophy of the reproductive organs; insulin, thy-roid hormones, and cortisol secretion remain nor-mal, while FSH and LH are increased.