Know your body When you get older, that's what happens in your hormones.

The endocrine system consists of organs and tissues producing hormones, chemicals released into the blood. As we age, changes occur naturally in the control of organic systems. Some target tissues become less sensitive to the dominant hormone, and here we talk about this process in detail in a new episode of the series "Know Your Body".

According to the website medlineplus, the levels of some hormones increase while others decrease, and some do not change with age.

The endocrine system changes with aging: there is a pituitary gland in the brain, which reaches its maximum size in the middle age and gradually becomes smaller. It has two parts:

• The back stores hormones produced in the area of ​​the hypothalamus.

The front part produces hormones that affect growth, thyroid (TSH), adrenal gland, ovaries, testes and breasts.

In some people, thyroid hormone levels may increase, resulting in an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.The thyroid glands are four small glands located around the thyroid and affecting the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormone on calcium and phosphate levels that affect bone strength, high levels of thyroid hormone with aging contribute to osteoporosis.

The average fasting glucose level increases from 6 to 14 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL) every 10 years after age 50, as cells become less sensitive to the effects of insulin.

Glans

The ovaries and testes produce genital cells, including oocytes and sperm, as well as sex hormones that control secondary sexual characteristics such as facial and breast hair.

In getting older

• Men sometimes have lower testosterone levels.

• Women have estradiol levels and other lower estrogen hormones after menopause.

Effect of changes

In general, some hormones decrease, some do not change, some increase with age, and hormones that generally decrease include:

• Aldosterone

• calcitonin

Growth hormone

• renin

In women, the levels of estrogen and prolactin are often greatly reduced.

Hormones that often remain unchanged or slightly reduced only include:

• cortisol

• adrenaline

• insulin

Thyroid hormones T3 and T4

Testosterone levels decrease gradually with age.

Hormones that can increase:

• ovarian hormone (FSH)

• hormone (LH)

Thyroid hormone