Luteinizing Hormone

Alzheimer's patients have measurably higher LH levels than cognitively normal individuals of the same age, suggesting LH is an active pathological agent rather than a bystander. Luteinizing hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and signals the gonads to produce progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen. As the gonads age and decline in output, the pituitary dramatically increases LH production in an attempt to compensate. Elevated LH is directly implicated in age-related cognitive decline, neuroinflammation, and synaptic dysfunction. In aging men, LH levels can be 1,000% higher than in youth. The dementia benefit observed from Lupron likely came from its suppression of luteinizing hormone, not from direct sex hormone lowering.