Nursing Edição Brasileira · Aug 27, 2026

Influence of Systemic Hormones on Bone Remodeling Throughout the Life Cycle: From Childhood to Aging

By Moura IDMAR, Comper JR, Longhi LW et al.

Skeletal tissue is a dynamic structure that undergoes a continuous renewal process known as bone remodeling, whose purpose is to maintain the mechanical integrity of the skeleton and ensure systemic mineral homeostasis. This process is tightly coordinated by osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes, cells whose synthesis and resorption activities are modulated by a complex network of systemic hormones throughout all stages of the life cycle. During childhood and puberty, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and sex steroids act synergistically to promote longitudinal modeling and the consolidation of peak bone mass. With advancing age and the transition to aging, the progressive decline in estrogen in women and testosterone in men, associated with variations in the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D, disrupts this dynamic balance, culminating in elevated rates of bone resorption, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the Brazilian scientific literature on the influence of systemic hormones on bone remodeling throughout the life cycle, from childhood to aging. To achieve this purpose, a thorough bibliographic search was conducted in the SciELO, LILACS, and BDENF databases, selecting original articles and integrative reviews in Portuguese that described the hormonal mechanisms regulating mineral and bone metabolism. The results demonstrate that the hormonal fluctuations characteristic of each age group play a critical role in determining bone mineral density and the risk of fragility fractures. It is concluded that an in-depth understanding of this endocrine regulation throughout life is crucial for the development of targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies, promoting healthy aging with a reduced impact of metabolic bone diseases on the Brazilian population.

doi.org/10.36489/nursing.2026v32i340p19232-19236Open accessMechanisms