Sex Steroids and Their Influence in Lung Diseases Across the Lifespan

Autor: Venkatachalem Sathish, Niyati A. Borkar
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Physiology in Health and Disease ISBN: 9783030635480
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-63549-7_3
Popis: The economic burden of lung diseases continues to be on the rise, with increasing annual expenditures every year. However, the pathophysiology of lung diseases remains complex. Sex steroids are known to influence the development and the physiology of lungs across the life course. During puberty, there is a progressive increase in sex-steroid levels, which results in anatomical and physiological differences between the sexes, and the interactions are most likely causes of the observable sexual dimorphism in the incidence, prevalence, and severity of multiple lung pathologies. Notably, fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy impact many lung pathologies, suggesting a link between female sex steroids and lung health. This chapter highlights the influence of sex steroids in lung diseases across the lifespan, adding to our understanding of their complex roles. Focusing on various time points, we aim to understand the following: (1) the inherent function of sex steroids in lung physiology, (2) their differential nature in lung diseases, (3) contribution of sex steroids in males versus females across the lifespan, (4) the implications of sex-steroid signaling, and (5) the probing questions on sex steroids and their interactions influencing the lungs. With the intention of appreciating the nuances of sex steroids in humans pertaining to epidemiological sex differences, we inform readers about the mechanisms involved in the sex–age interaction and sex steroids’ contributions in lung diseases across the lifespan.
Databáze: OpenAIRE