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Hormones. Hormonal decline is a central feature of the
degenerative process known as aging, responsible for diminished
energy levels, lack of sexual vitality, and a steady upward creep
in the fat/muscle ratio. Hormonal therapy has become increasingly
popular in recent years not only as a means to improve quality of
life, mental acuity, and physical vigor, but also because
research shows that many diseases that hospitalize and kill
millions of people each year are related to unfavorable shifts in
hormone levels.
For example, an elevation in baseline insulin levels
associated with insulin resistance causes a rise in triglyceride
levels and the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol, which increases
the risk of heart disease. In women, declining estrogen and growth
hormone levels contribute to bone loss and increase the risk of
osteoporosis. In both sexes, loss of muscle mass and functional
strength is largely a consequence of hormonal alterations
occurring with advancing age; and in men, falling testosterone and
rising estrogen levels have been linked to heart disease.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease of
insulin receptor dysfunction, but may in some instances be
related to shifts in other hormonal systems. For example,
hypothyroidism and elevated cortisol levels occurring in response
to chronic stress can cause an increase in bodyfat
and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance promotes heart
disease, and this illustrates how potentially reversible hormonal
changes can lead to degeneration and illness.
Hormonal decline makes you less active which perpetuates the
problem. Also, because the entire hormonal system is
interconnected, a change in one hormone affects other hormones.
This dynamic of hormonal synergy underlies what is sometimes
referred to as the "downward spiral of aging" - leading
from the robust tight-bodied vigor of youth to the feeble frailty
of old age. Conversely, hormonal synergy can work to your
advantage if the change is positive, making hormonal enhancement
a powerful tool for improving health and performance.
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