Evgenideion Hospital, Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Vitam Horm. 2021;115:1-14. doi: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.12.001. Epub 2021 Feb 17.
The world's population is increasingly aging, this noted particularly in the Western world where there are ever greater numbers of centenarians and those over 85 years. Given the immense importance of the thyroid gland for optimal health and the fact that morphological and functional changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis take place as a natural adaptation to the aging process, a clear distinction must be made in older individuals between these and the onset of disease. However, this is problematic since, frequently, subtle differences exist between them, making diagnosis a challenging task, especially as concerns subclinical disease. The newly emerging interdisciplinary field of geroscience offers the prospect of being used as a platform to investigate the effect of disrupted HPT function on functional capacity and cognitive ability among the aged, as well as the risk or onset of age-associated diseases, thus enhancing healthspan and lifespan. Because optimal functioning of the thyroid gland is a prerequisite for longevity as well as for mental and physical wellbeing, this review summarizes the recent scientific data regarding HPT and aging while discussing alternative and personalized treatment approaches to maintaining a healthy thyroid as a means to ensuring a long, active, and healthy life.
世界人口正日益老龄化，这在西方世界尤为明显，那里的百岁老人和 85 岁以上的老人数量不断增加。鉴于甲状腺对最佳健康的重要性，以及下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺（HPT）轴的形态和功能变化是自然适应衰老过程的事实，必须在老年人中清楚地区分这些变化和疾病的发生。然而，这是有问题的，因为它们之间经常存在细微的差异，使得诊断成为一项具有挑战性的任务，特别是在涉及亚临床疾病时。新出现的老年科学跨学科领域为研究 HPT 功能障碍对老年人功能能力和认知能力的影响以及与年龄相关疾病的风险或发病提供了可能，从而延长了健康寿命和寿命。由于甲状腺的最佳功能是长寿以及身心健康的先决条件，因此，本综述总结了最近关于 HPT 和衰老的科学数据，同时讨论了维持健康甲状腺的替代和个性化治疗方法，以确保长寿、积极和健康的生活。
