Secretion of melatonin in healthy elderly subjects: a longitudinal study

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
N M K Ng Ying KinL Annable

Abstract

We report on a 10-year longitudinal study on 24-h serum melatonin secretion (AUC) in healthy human subjects. Fifty women and 53 men (aged 42-83 yr) participated in the study initially. Of these, 18 women and 15 men were followed for 6 consecutive years. (a) Cross-sectional analysis (n = 103): A significant (R = -.49, P =.0001) decline in AUC melatonin with age was found in women, but not in men. (b) Longitudinal analysis (n = 33): Repeated-measure ANOVAs for women (n = 18): Time: linear F(1,17) = 5.14, P =.037. The AUC increased by about 40% over the six-year period. In men, there were no significant changes. In agreement with most cross-sectional studies, an inverse relationship was found between melatonin secretion and age. However, the longitudinal study showed an increase in melatonin secretion, indicating the presence of putative compensatory mechanisms during healthy aging. Changes in melatonin secretion were gender specific, occurring in women only.

References

Feb 1, 1986·Biological Psychiatry·N P NairJ X Thavundayil
Apr 2, 1999·Psychoneuroendocrinology·L WetterbergA Yuwiler
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Citations

Nov 23, 2006·Neuroimmunomodulation·Aglaia Giannoulia-KarantanaGeorge P Chrousos
Sep 27, 2005·Climacteric : the Journal of the International Menopause Society
Apr 10, 2007·Cancer Detection and Prevention·Regina P DopfelEva S Schernhammer
Sep 27, 2005·Experimental Gerontology·S R Pandi-PerumalD P Cardinali
Nov 25, 2006·Neurobiology of Aging·Charlotte von Gall, David R Weaver
Feb 2, 2017·The Journal of Clinical Investigation·Suzanne Hood, Shimon Amir

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