Effect of aging on beta-adrenergically mediated thermogenesis in men

Research was conducted to test whether the beta-adrenergically mediated thermogenesis in men is altered with aging. Intravenous infusion of nonselective beta-agonist isoprenaline was performed on 11 young and nine older men. The older subjects had higher basal plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations than the younger men. Results indicate that aging is related to a diminished beta-adrenergically mediated thermogenesis which may generate increased obesity and fat storage caused by a positive energy balance.