grave 2Research appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2007 Nov 12:167(20):2249-54) indicates that low levels of hormones like insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), testosterone and dehydroepiandosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) may be a predictor of early mortality in older men. The researchers measured the levels of these hormones in over 400 men aged 65 and older. Low levels of one of the hormones meant a 47% increase in the risk of death in six years. Low levels of two of the hormones meant an 85% increase and low levels of all three increased the six-year risk of death by 129%.