title: Frailty as a dysruption of steroid "syncrinology" in elderly man.
abstract: In the background of the endocrinological hypothesis of aging, frailty in man can be seen as a dysruption of syncrinology, a term with which we could define the harmonized activity of steroid hormones (DHEAS, cortisol, testosterone). Such endocrine age-related modifications might promote the activation of sarcopenia, which exerts a core position in the progression of frailty in the elderly. Consequently, the use of replacement treatment in order to delay the beginning of such steroid derangement might be a suitable strategy to improve the quality of life of man, whose life length has been significantly extended.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Gerontologia e Geriatria, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. giorgio.valenti@unipr.it
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valenti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000502:physiology*; D016709:Yin-Yang
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D006854:Hydrocortisone