ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the changes in sex hormones that occur with aging in both men and women. It provides a health care practitioner's synthesis of the medical literature on the role of sex hormones in preserving muscle mass and bone strength during aging. Sarcopenia is a major contributing factor to fractures, weakness, disability, falls, and mortality. Sarcopenia is common and it is becoming more common as patients live longer. The chapter focuses on primary osteoporosis, which is the result of bone loss related to the decline in gonadal function associated with aging. The greatest osteoporosis prevention benefit from hormone replacement therapy is obtained if it is begun shortly after menopause. The Framingham Osteoporosis Study revealed that as men age, they lose bone mineral density (BMD) at a rate of 1% per year.
