Endocrine Abstracts

Thyroid hormones play an important role in all stages of life, including old age. Several differences have been observed in thyroid function parameters with age, including an increase in circulating thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels gradually increase with age. In order to identify determinants of human longevity, the Leiden Longevity Study (LLS) included 421 families with at least two long-lived Caucasian siblings fulfilling the age criteria (men ≥89 years and women ≥91 years) without selection on health or demographics. We also included the offspring of these long-lived siblings and partners thereof, serving as a control group. Previously, we found higher TSH secretion and a stronger TSH-fT3 temporal relationship in the offspring compared to controls. Our current research which is performed in the THYRAGE (Resetting the THYRoid axis for prevention of AGE-related diseases and co-morbidities) consortium is devoted at disentangling of the role of thyroid hormone economy in human longevity and age-related diseases, including maintenance and functional decline of the central nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system.