What is the Origin of Systemic Physiological Entropy?

This term borrows the concept of 'entropy'—a measure of disorder from thermodynamics—and applies it to the complexity of 'systemic physiological' function. It provides a theoretical model for understanding aging as a decline in the organized complexity of biological systems, particularly the endocrine and neural networks. Clinical interventions aim to introduce negative entropy, or increased order, to counteract this natural decline.

What is the Mechanism of Systemic Physiological Entropy?

The mechanism is characterized by the degradation of cellular components, the accumulation of molecular damage, and the desynchronization of complex biological rhythms, such as the neuroendocrine axes. For example, the blunting of the cortisol diurnal variation and the reduced pulsatility of growth hormone secretion are direct manifestations of increased physiological entropy in the endocrine system. This disorder reduces the organism's capacity for accurate, timely, and proportional adaptive responses.

Systemic Physiological Entropy ∞ Area

Systemic Physiological Entropy

Meaning

Systemic Physiological Entropy is a conceptual framework describing the progressive, irreversible loss of order, predictability, and functional efficiency across the body’s integrated physiological systems over time. This increase in biological disorder is the fundamental process of aging, manifesting as reduced homeostatic reserve, hormonal signaling noise, and increased vulnerability to disease. Minimizing this entropic drift is the core goal of longevity medicine.