Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Substantial and important age-related change occurs in several hormones such as TSH, T3, T4, cortisol, and testosterone. Physiological aging is an extremely complex, multiofactorial process, affecting a myriad of genetic, biochemical, and metabolic processes. This study evaluates the hormonal disturbances that occurrs at advanced age stages. The results of thyroid hormones, showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) with significant increase (p<0.05) in the levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and levels of tetraiodothyronine (T4) in aging men in a comparison with young men. Concerning the levels of testosterone and cortisol hormone showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) of aging men when compared with young men. Antioxidant levels (such as reduced glutathione and catalase), also involved in this study and their results reported significant decrease (P<0.01) in aging men when compared with young men. Data obtained from this study may suggest that DNA damage causes the cells to stop dividing or induce apoptosis in advanced age, often affecting the stem cell pool and hence hindering regeneration. Thus, DNA damage is thought to be the common path way causing aging, hormones, and cancer.