The development of bone weakness, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease with age can be “predicted” by a single hormone in men. This is INSL3, which appears for the first time during puberty. From that point on, his levels begin to decline. A man with lower levels of INSL3 at a young age is likely to have lower levels of the hormone as he ages. If this resulted in a greater risk of health complications, those health risks could potentially be managed many years earlier. “Understanding why some people are more likely to develop disabilities and diseases as they age is vital so that interventions can be found to ensure not only long but healthy lives as they age,” the reproductive endocrinologist said. Dr Ravinder Anand-Ivel from the University of Nottingham in the UK. INSL3 is produced by the same cells in the testicles that also produce testosterone. In contrast, INSL3 does not change as men age. To monitor the level of INSL3 in the blood, the researchers took samples from more than 2,200 men in eight different regional centers in Europe. INSL3 levels in men remain stable over time but vary widely between individuals to differentiate health risks. The researchers suggest that INSL3 levels in the blood reliably correlate with the number and health of Leydig cells in the testes. Having fewer of these cells and less testosterone is also linked to a host of health problems later in life. “It is suggested that nutrition at an early age may play a role, but many other factors such as genetics or exposure to certain environmental endocrine disruptors may play a role,” explains Dr. Anand-Ivel. Of nine morbidity categories that participants reported in the questionnaires, INSL3 was associated with an increased risk of morbidity in eight. Only depression was not found to correlate with the hormone. When the researchers adjusted for other hormonal and lifestyle factors, such as body mass index and smoking status, most of these associations with INSL3 were lost, except for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, future studies should “focus on longer time periods to determine whether INSL3 measured in younger or middle-aged men is truly predictive of the later onset of an age-related health problem, the researchers concluded . References: Ravinder Anand-Ivell & etc. The Leydig cell biomarker INSL3 as a predictor of age-related morbidity: Findings from the EMAS cohort. Frontiers in Endocrinology – https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.1016107/full