**4.3 Hormonal replacement or blockade**

Considering that some hormonal changes during aging are beneficial while others are harmful, it is tempting to use hormonal replacement or blockade to extend longevity [12, 13, 53].

GH represents an interesting and intriguing example in this regard. Although GH promotes health and vitality in young subjects and it is well established that its levels decrease with aging, several studies suggest that reduced GH can be more beneficial for overall health and longevity than excess GH [37, 38, 52]. This discourages the use of GH as an anti-aging treatment. However, additional clinical studies are needed for a definitive conclusion on the role of GH/IGF-1 axis in aging [10].

E replacement therapy in post-menopausal women younger than 60 years has been reported to reduce mortality (extension of longevity) [13].

Treatment with DHEA has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity (increase) and inflammatory adipokines (decrease) [53]. This can potentially reduce morbidity and mortality.
