The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology has just published a four-paper Series on Ageing and endocrinology, highlighting endocrine-related diseases and comorbidities as some of the most common age-related conditions and major impediments to maintaining good health in old age.
Implementation of the extension code XT9T in ICD-11 is not formal recognition of ageing as a disease. The WHO is recognizing ageing as a major disease risk factor and of the considerable public health problem posed by ageing-related diseases.
Big pharma might put more money into targeting the ageing process and extending human lifespan.
The Lancet papers discuss the physiological basis of endocrine-system ageing, the clinical implications of using testosterone to treat older men with hypogonadism, thyroid dysfunction during ageing, and the role of the endocrine system in frailty. Understanding how the endocrine system ages is paramount to realising the goal of healthy ageing—the door to which has at least now been opened by implementation of the ‘Ageing-related’ ICD-11 extension code.