Hormone levels in centenarians.

The serum profiles of total triiodothyronine (T(3)), free thyroxin (fT(4)), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), cortisol, prolactin (HPRL), parathormone (PTH), osteocalcin and growth hormone (GH) were measured in a group of 12 centenarians and compared to the values of a control group of twenty-nine subjects, aged 67-98 years. The study was aimed at revealing whether there are appreciable differences or age-related modifications in the hormone status of healthy control elderly and the centenarian population. In this series, the modifications in hormone levels were unremarkable, and the serum levels of the studied hormones in centenarians often fell within a range considered to be normal for the younger age classes.