Which hormone's concentration is affected by age and gender?

Ghrelin is known as the "hunger hormone" and plays a critical role in regulating appetite and energy balance. Its concentration can indeed be influenced by both age and gender. Research shows that ghrelin levels tend to decrease with age; older individuals generally exhibit lower levels of this hormone compared to younger counterparts. Additionally, hormonal variations based on gender contribute to fluctuations in ghrelin levels, as women may experience changes in ghrelin due to hormonal cycles related to menstruation and menopause.

Leptin, insulin, and estrogen are also hormones that can be affected by age and gender, but they do not play a primary role in the regulation of hunger in the way ghrelin does. Insulin is mainly involved in glucose metabolism and its relationship with body fat and energy expenditure. Leptin, while involved in regulating energy balance and appetite, is more closely related to fat stores and can show variation with body composition rather than strictly age and gender. Estrogen, although it changes with age and influences various metabolic processes, is not primarily recognized as a hormone that directly regulates appetite in the same manner as ghrelin does.

Thus, ghrelin is distinctly recognized for its connection to hunger and appetite regulation, significantly influenced by both age