ABSTRACT
The changes in hypothalamic-pituitary function in older people include the effects of aging per se on hypothalamic-pituitary physiology,such as age-related declines in GH-IFG-1 system and increased activity in CRH-ACTH axis,and the hormone hyposecretion due to anterior pituitary diseases in elderly,including fibrosis and vascular alterations.In considering changes in hypothalamic-pituitary function in older people,it is important to distinguish between what is age-related and what is disease-related.Symptoms associated with hypopituitarism are nonspecific and may be often attributed to normal aging and can be challenging in clinical practice.Furthermore,the benefits and safety of selective pituitary hormonal replacement,including growth hormone replacement,remain controversial in the elderly.The evidence for age-related changes in GH-IGF-1 system and CRH-ACTH axis and their clinical consequences are reviewed.The characteristics in the clinical approach to disease-related hypopituitarism in older person are also briefly discussed.