Adrenarche is an early stage in sexual maturation that happens in some higher primates (including humans), typically peaks at around 20 years of age, Adrenarche is a process related to puberty, but distinct from hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis) maturation and function.
Occurrence
thumb|right|450px|class=skin-invert-image|Levels of DHEA-S, a major adrenal androgen, throughout life in humans After the first year of life, the adrenal glands secrete very low levels of adrenal androgens. Adrenarche begins on average between age 5 to 8 in girls and between 7 and 11 in boys, and precedes [[puberty by about 2 years. It continues throughout puberty, with adrenal androgen levels progressively increasing until reaching maximal levels in young adulthood, around the age of 20 years. Levels of corticosteroids like cortisol do not change with adrenarche. from 2008 found an increased incidence of behavior and school problems in a group of children with premature adrenarche compared with an otherwise similar control group. To date, such a relationship has neither been confirmed nor explained and there are no obvious management implications.
Other primates
Adrenarche occurs in only a small number of primates, and only chimpanzees and gorillas show a pattern of adrenarche development similar to humans.
See also
- Puberty
- Gonadarche
- Thelarche
- Pubarche
- Menarche
- Spermarche
- Adrenopause
- Adrenal androgen-stimulating hormone
- Precocious puberty