We could not survive without hormones. They are among the most common and vital chemical messengers in the body. From head to toe, each moment of life, they signal cells to perform tasks that range from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Among their many roles, hormones help regulate body temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. In childhood, they help us “grow up.” In the teen years, they are the driving force behind puberty. But what influence, if any, the natural decline in some hormones has on the aging process in middle and late life is unclear. Although a few proponents are convinced that hormone supplements can favorably alter the aging process and have advocated their widespread use, the scientific evidence supporting this premise is, for the most part, sketchy.

For more than a decade, the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health, has supported and conducted studies of replenishing hormones and similar substances to find out if they may help reduce frailty and improve function in older people. These studies have focused on hormones known to decline as we grow older:

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
• Growth Hormone
• Melatonin
• Testosterone
• Menopausal hormones, such as estrogen

The results from these NIA-sponsored studies and other research projects likely will improve our understanding of the pros and cons of hormone supplementation. Until the results of these studies are compiled, analyzed, and a consensus among scientists is reached, recommendations to use supplemental hormones and hormone-like molecules to influence the aging process and health problems associated with aging should be viewed with skepticism. It is not yet known, for instance, how much is too much or too little, and when or whether hormone supplements should be taken at all. This fact sheet provides information about what is known so far and what researchers are doing to find out more.


What Is A Hormone?

Hormones are powerful chemicals that help keep our bodies working normally.The term hormone is derived from the Greek word, hormo, which means to set in motion. And that’s precisely what hormones do in the body. They stimulate, regulate, and control the function of various tissues and organs. Made by specialized groups of cells within structures called glands, hormones are involved in almost every biological process including sexual reproduction, growth, metabolism, and immune function. These glands, including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, ovaries and testes, release various hormones into the body as needed.