Martín · Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2018 · narrative review · n=?

Hormones and Muscle Atrophy.

Cited 75 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review of endocrine mechanisms in muscle atrophy without new human data or systematic review methods.

PubMed 30390253 · doi:10.1007/978-981-13-1435-3_9 · record verified 2026-08-29

What was done

This narrative review synthesized knowledge on how the endocrine system regulates skeletal muscle metabolism and mass in healthy and disease states. It examined the anabolic actions of growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I, and androgens, alongside the catabolic effects of glucocorticoids across systemic conditions (fasting, sepsis, trauma, cancer, renal and cardiac failure) and local disuse states (denervation, immobilization).

What was found

The abstract reports no quantitative measurements or numerical data. It qualitatively summarizes that growth hormone, IGF-I, and androgens act as anabolic regulators preserving muscle mass, whereas glucocorticoids exert direct catabolic actions driving muscle protein breakdown during illness, fasting, and inactivity.

Why it matters

Clarifying the endocrine pathways involved in muscle wasting outlines mechanistic targets for developing hormonal therapies against atrophy in chronic disease and disuse.

Limits

This is an unsystematic narrative overview providing no primary human data, effect sizes, or study selection criteria. Clinical efficacy and safety of potential hormone-mediated treatments are not evaluated in the abstract.

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