Hormones and Antiaging Medicine: Hypothalamic-Pituitary Hormones and Antiaging

The hypothalamus is the central part of the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system. In the hypothalamus, the central nervous system and neuroendocrine are interconnected through a network of neurons, regulating instinctive behavior and accompanying visceral functions to maintain homeostasis. It also houses centers for appetite, energy consumption, temperature regulation, thirst, and sexual behavior, integrating internal and external information and adapting to various stresses. It regulates the function of the pituitary gland, which is located at the top of all endocrine organs in the body. These functions are closely related to aging and lifespan regulation. In this section, I would like to discuss the role of the hypothalamus and pituitary hormones, mainly the GH (growth hormone)-IGF (insulin-like growth factor) system, which is involved in lifespan regulation, and the recently reported role of the hypothalamus.