Aging and its associated changes in the human body have always been equally fascinating amongst evolutionary scientists, healthcare researchers and physicians. Dinosaurs, as per the recent “longevity bottleneck hypothesis”, influenced rapid aging and associated problems in mammals, including humans. This rapidly aging demographic in humans, and declining birth rates, are expected to result in a growing aging population across the globe. This rapid graying will reach a new milestone by 2034, where the population size of individuals aged above 65 will outnumber children in many countries. This older population is estimated to be racially and ethnically more diverse, particularly in the USA. The increasing number of aged individuals will bring the global shift in the healthcare needs of the aging population. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has further added to the complexities of the etiology of geriatric disorders. To understand and address the unmet needs of our aging population, the complex physical and biological changes in the geriatric population should be understood.

Hormones are the most powerful molecules in the human body and govern every biochemical process from cognition, metabolism, excretion, reproduction to other physical and biological processes. The level of different hormones changes with aging. While aging affects populations across the globe, it affects races, ethnicities, and genders differently. These gender-wise differences in ethnicities across the globe might be attributed to differences in the levels of hormones. These changes in the levels of hormones may not necessarily always be harmful. It is both relevant and important to discuss which changes are beneficial and which can impact human health. Furthermore, chronic disease burden and multi-morbidity varies amongst non-Hispanics, Hispanics, whites, other ethnicities, and differ in genders. The similarities and differences in different populations both at the disease and hormonal level will certainly help in understanding the healthcare challenges and unmet needs of the diverse aging population. This Research Topic will focus on the similarities and differences in the levels of hormones across demographics, races, ethnicities, and genders. Both the beneficial and harmful impact of hormones in the normal aging population, and in geriatric disorders, will be the key areas of focus to address the unmet healthcare challenges. In addition, we welcome contributions that provide an overview of supplements, natural, innovative, and affordable healthcare solutions on the market, and research in aging will be included. The aim of this Research Topic is to provide a discussion platform for researchers, physicians, and healthcare providers for developing affordable solutions to treat hormonal disorders in our rapidly graying, diverse population. The impact of COVID-19 on hormonal changes and disorders in our geriatric population will also be discussed.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research articles, Mini Reviews, and Reviews, that provide insights into the current state of management of aging related hormonal abnormalities and commentaries. Potential areas of discussion include, but are not limited to the following topics:

1. The effects of healthy versus unhealthy aging on endocrine function; potential disparities in these measures related to age, gender, race, and ethnicity.

2. Influence of COVID-19 and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) on the outcome of endocrine functions in aging individuals across genders, races, and ethnicities.

3. Hormonal imbalance and age associated dementia in women.

4. Hormones in oncology disorders in aging population: from diagnostic markers to key therapeutic targets.

5. Treatment of metastasized neuroendocrine tumor with Somatuline and Nutraceuticals to minimize tumor spread and growth.

6. Adverse effects of using synthetic hormones such as leuprolide (Lupron) to significantly reduce testosterone levels to slow prostate cancer growth.

7. Current research on endocrine disruptors ghrelin, kisspeptin and fabkin in aging population and disorders.

8. Hormones and Aging-related disorders affecting the heart (circulatory, hypertension, dyslipidemia) thyroid or kidneys, and conditions that emerge with aging, such as orthopedic disorders and sleep disorders.

9. Novel therapeutic interventions including gene- & cell-based, extracellular vesicles, nutrition, biosimilars.

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Frontiers in Endocrinology

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