Adrenopause

Not to be confused with Andropause.
Levels of DHEA-S, a major adrenal androgen, throughout life in humans.[1]

Adrenopause is the decline in secretion and levels of adrenal androgens such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) from the zona reticularis of the adrenal glands with age.[2][3] Levels of adrenal androgens start to increase around age 7 or 8 years (adrenarche), peak in early adulthood around age 20 to 25 years, and decrease at a rate of approximately 2% per year thereafter, eventually reaching levels of 10 to 20% of those of young adults by age 80 years.[2][1] It is caused by the progressive apoptosis of adrenal androgen-secreting cells and hence involution of the zona reticularis.[2][3] It is analogous to andropause in men and menopause in women, the abrupt or gradual decline in production of sex hormones from the gonads with age.[4]

DHEA can be supplemented or taken as a medication in the form of prasterone to replace adrenal androgens later in life if it is desired.[2] Some clinical studies have found benefits of DHEA supplementation in the elderly and people with adrenal insufficiency.[2]

  1. ^ a b Mark A. Sperling (10 April 2014). Pediatric Endocrinology E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 485–. ISBN 978-1-4557-5973-6.
  2. ^ a b c d e J. Larry Jameson; Leslie J. De Groot (25 February 2015). Endocrinology: Adult and Pediatric E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 1838–. ISBN 978-0-323-32195-2.
  3. ^ a b Papierska L (June 2017). "Adrenopause - does it really exist?". Prz Menopauzalny. 16 (2): 57–60. doi:10.5114/pm.2017.68593. PMC 5509973. PMID 28721131.
  4. ^ Shlomo Melmed; Kenneth S. Polonsky; P. Reed Larsen; Henry M. Kronenberg (11 November 2015). Williams Textbook of Endocrinology E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 1237–. ISBN 978-0-323-34157-8.