Men's Future Health Could Be Predicted by a Single Hormone INSL3 (inhibin, beta-like 3)

A single hormone that persists in males at a constant level throughout their lifetimes might predict a number of age-related disorders, including bone thinning, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

INSL3 (inhibin, beta-like 3) is a hormone that is produced by cells in the testes and ovaries of mammals. In males, INSL3 is produced by Leydig cells in the testes, while in females it is produced by granulosa cells in the ovaries.

INSL3 plays a role in the development and function of the reproductive system. In males, INSL3 is involved in the development of the testes during fetal development and in the regulation of testosterone production in adulthood. In females, INSL3 is involved in the regulation of ovarian function, including the development of the corpus luteum, which is a temporary endocrine structure that is important for maintaining pregnancy.

INSL3 is also involved in the regulation of insulin-like peptides, which are involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis.

Abnormalities in INSL3 production or signaling can be associated with a variety of reproductive and metabolic disorders. Further research is needed to fully understand the role of INSL3 in the body and its potential as a therapeutic target for these disorders.

Puberty is when INSL3, the hormone, first manifests. After that, its levels only gradually decrease with age. INSL3 is useful to scientists and perhaps men's health because of its constancy and the young age at which it first occurs.

According to the latest study, someone who has lower INSL3 levels while they are young would likely also have lower amounts of the hormone as they age. In the event that this leads to a higher risk of health issues, as the study contends may be the case, such health concerns may be controlled several years sooner.

"Our hormone finding is a crucial step in comprehending this and will pave the way for not just aiding individuals but also aiding in the alleviation of the care issue we confront as a community,"

The same cells in the testes that make testosterone also make INSL3, but INSL3 doesn't change as a man ages as testosterone does.

Researchers collected blood samples from more than 2,200 males at eight different regional centers around Europe to track the amount of INSL3 in the blood. The men's INSL3 levels remained constant over time and also varied greatly across individuals, allowing us to differentiate between various health concerns.

Less of these cells and less testosterone have also been related to a range of health problems in later life. Researchers hypothesize that INSL3 levels in the blood consistently correlate to the quantity and health of the Leydig cells in the testes.

According to molecular endocrinologist Richard Ivell of the University of Nottingham, "now that we are aware of the significant role this hormone plays in disease prediction and how it differs among men, we are turning our attention to determining what factors have the greatest influence on the level of INSL3 in the blood."

According to preliminary research, early life nutrition may be important, but there are many other possible causes, such as genetics or exposure to certain environmental endocrine disruptors.

INSL3 was connected to an elevated risk of morbidity in eight out of the nine categories of morbidity that participants reported in questionnaires, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (only depression was not shown to be correlated in this study).

However, most of these relationships with INSL3 were lost after the researchers controlled for additional hormonal and lifestyle variables, such as BMI and smoking status, with the exception of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Lower hormone levels were linked to seven out of the nine comorbidity categories when researchers looked at whether INSL3 levels in blood samples from a subset of males might predict health outcomes around four years later. However, this was done without considering any further issues.

Given INSL3's significant correlation with testosterone, one area the researchers are eager to investigate in follow-up studies is how it connects to sexual health. However, this topic wasn't covered in depth in this specific study.

Future studies should, according to the researchers, "concentrate on longer time periods to ascertain if INSL3 assessed in younger or middle-aged males... is actually predictive of the later development of age-dependent health concern."

If further research confirms the association between INSL3 and these health hazards and identifies the actual cause of the association, it will allow for the identification and prevention of a number of age-related health issues considerably sooner.

Reducing the fitness gap that develops as people age is the "holy grail of aging science," according to Anand-Ivell.

The "holy grail" of aging science refers to the search for a way to significantly extend the human lifespan and delay or prevent age-related diseases and declines. The term "holy grail" is often used to refer to a long-sought, elusive goal that is believed to have the potential to bring significant benefits or transformative change. 

In the field of aging science, the Holy Grail would be a way to significantly extend a healthy human lifespan and improve the quality of life in old age. Researchers are studying a wide range of potential interventions that may be able to achieve this goal, including dietary and lifestyle changes, genetic manipulations, and pharmaceutical treatments.

While significant progress has been made in understanding the biological processes underlying aging and developing interventions to delay or prevent age-related diseases, the holy grail of significantly extending the human lifespan has yet to be achieved. Further research is needed to fully understand the complex and multifactorial processes involved in aging and to identify interventions that can safely and effectively delay or prevent age-related declines.

The study was released in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology.