Recent advances in the role of cortisol and metabolic syndrome in age-related degenerative diseases.

Aging Clin Exp Res

Geriatric Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, S. Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00199, Rome, Italy.

Published: February 2016

AI Article Synopsis

  • * Increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis contributes to MetS and is linked to chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and dementia.
  • * A new treatment approach focusing on inhibiting 11β-HSD1 shows promise for addressing HPA hyperactivity, and a national clinical trial (AGICO study) is planned to further investigate the relationship between cortisol, MetS, and aging-related diseases.

Article Abstract

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) presents an increasing prevalence in elderly people. A significant role in MetS is played by the stress response and cortisol. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity is increased by central (loss of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors) and peripheral (11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, 11β-HSD1, hyperactivity) mechanisms. The HPA hyperactivity has been found in chronic diseases affecting the endocrine (abdominal obesity with MetS, type 2 diabetes), cardiovascular (atherosclerosis, essential hypertension), and nervous systems (dementia, depression), in aging. A novel therapeutic approach (11β-HSD1 inhibition) is promising in treating the HPA axis hyperactivity in chronic diseases with MetS. A large-scale national clinical trial (AGICO, AGIng, and COrtisol study) has been proposed by our group to evaluate the role of cortisol and MetS in the main pathologies of aging (vascular and degenerative dementia, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, abdominal obesity).

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0353-0DOI Listing

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