What is the metabolic theory? What are the issues?
We all have a finite amount of energy, at a certain point we use it all up.
Issue:
No meaningful biomarkers have ever been found (no proof)
What is the cellular theory? Why could it work?
Cellular theory states that cells can only divide so many times. We have observed this.
Chromosomes have telomeres at their tips, every time a cell replicates these telomeres get shorter. At a certain point they get too short and the cellular division stops.
Leaves room to talk about genetic and environmental interactions (Lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of physical activity, obesity, stress, exposure to pollution, etc. can potentially increase the rate of telomere shortening)
Explain the genetic programming theory and it’s proof.
Aging is programmed into our DNA. There is observed evidence that cell death is part of our physiological process (it is essential for our growth).
Cells also do get influenced by the environment
Proof diseases with genetic links: (Alzheimer’s)
What are some environmental factors on our aging?
Trauma, stress, inequitable resources because of systemic process, discrimination….
What is DNA methylation, and why should we care?
It is a biological process by which methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule.
Scientists can measure how much DNA methylation has occurred to determine biological age (might not be the same as chronological age)
The rate at which DNA methylation occurs is sensitive to environmental and lifestyle factors
This explains why people age differently.
What Causes Wrinkles and Other Age-Related
Skin Changes?
- Outer layer of skin becomes more fragile
- Collagen loses flexibility (no more “plump bounce back”)
- Elastin fibres stop keeping skin stretched out (sagging)
- Underlying fat diminishes
What effects speed of aging skin?
- sun exposure
- smoking (dehydrates skin and effects blood flow)
- diet (vitamins minerals… excessive alcohol)
- moisture (keep skin hydrated!)
- Repetitive facial movement (depression= fewer wrinkles(yay) smile lines= wrinkles (boo))
What are the ABC’s of Melanoma?
A- asymmetry
B - irregular boarders
C- colour
D - diameter
E - evolving
Ugly duckling rule: if it looks weird, check it out
What are the impacts of age on hair and voice?
- Gradual hair thinning occurs with age across genders
- Genetics and lifestyle linked to when the hair follicles stop producing pigment
- Can be impacted by lifestyle (smoking)
- Laryngeal, respiratory, and muscular changes lead to differences in aging voices
- Lower pitch, breathier, more trembling, slower and less precise pronunciation, lower volume
What are the impacts of aging on height
- Our height changes over lifespan
-Height stays the same until 40, then 1 to 3 inches will be lost (this is normative) - We get shorter because of spinal compression. Disks compress. Muscular changes which leads to postural change.
Weight and age
- You have weight gain in middle age (less exercise so you need fewer calories)
- Weight loss as you get older (don’t need as much fuel)
- There is a change in metabolism and activity levels.
-More sedentary with age leads to changes in metabolism.
What are the influences of age on Mobility ? What happens to our bones and strength?
- We lose muscle as we age.
- Not super noticeable until 70 (for normative aging)
-By 80, 40% of strength is gone! Does vary a bit depending on lifestyle - lose more muscle in legs - contributes to risk of falling
- Lose of bone mass starts in 30s speeds up in 50s slows down in 70s
- could be related to hormones!
-More estrogen-more bone mass lose. - Women and trans women have more loose of bone mass, trans men and men have less
- can be influenced by lifestyle and genetics.
When bones becomes more porous it’s more susceptible to breaks, heals slower/worse no clean breaks.
Joints and age
Starting in your 20s, we have a breakdown of cartilage in and around our joints.
*Best thing to do for joint health?
Strengthen muscles around.
What are the psychological effects of changing in appearance?
- Self esteem might go down
- Stereotypically regarded as inferior because they do not conform to “beauty” standards
- Limiting oneself
- You can have internalized ageism and stereotypes
- People might treat you differently.
What are the psychological effects of changing in ability?
- Might be more (or less) motivated to try to improve physically
- feeling like a burden
- Concept of self might have to change.
- Loved ones also experience psychological effects (they have to change their image of their loved one)
- Feeling of helplessness and guilt
What are structural changes that affect our vision
- As we get older, less light is able to pass through the eye (older people now need more light to preform tasks) and we have a harder time adjusting to brightness
- Muscles around the eye stiffen, which makes it difficult to focus on nearby objects (presbyopia)
What are retinol changes? Side effects of diabetes? Side effect of vision, lose on mental health?
- part of our retina starts to degenerate (AMD)
- we start to lose vision in the centre of the eye
- diabetes can accelerate aging in the eyes through the arteries and increases fluid retention in the eye, which leads to vision lose.
- These changes lead to isolation and increasing depression (dynamic systems)
What effects does age have on hearing? Why is this bad? Who does it effect?
Hearing loss starts gradually, then accelerates around 40 (because of cellular degeneration)
- We also lose some of the nerves
- As we age, we get fewer nutrients to the cells we do have.
- Structure of ear change
- Effected by environment (loud noises…)
*Related to depression and decreased social interaction
* These difficulties tend to be worse with people who are SES (less access to resources and high quality medical care)
What is somatosensory and how is it impacted?
It is complex “touch”.
ex. Can feel two hands touching, but can also step outside and feel the wind
Places on our body not covered in hair requires a tougher touch to feel
With hair-no change
Chronic pain fun fact:
Half of older adults experience chronic pain in care facilities, it jumps to 80 %
How is taste and smell with effected with age and why do we care?
- Gradual decline in taste as you age BUT varies highly with individual and what the taste actually is
- Medication and diseases can fuck up taste or smell
- Covid messed it up
Why we care?- keeps us safe.
Cardiovascular system impacts
- Late 40s-early 50s: less muscle tissue to contract the heart
- Arterial walls harden
- Cardiovascular disease quite common, more common for men (cis and trans (when using hormonal replacement theory)) than women (cis and trans)- this means our hormones play a large role.
-Congestive heart failure: heart enlarges (bad) - Angina pectoris: person can’t get enough oxygen to the heart (caused by physical exertion)
-Myocardial infarction (heart attack): blood supply reduced or cut off - Atherosclerosis: build up of fat and calcification along arterial walls
- Cerebrovascular accident (stroke): not enough blood to brain
Respiratory system
Air sack deterioration starting in 20s: we take in less air.
Pollution and genetics and lifestyle all interplay
emphysema: membranes in lungs destroyed (irreversible)- people struggle to exchange o and co2
chronic bronchitis: common in people over 45, and if exposed to lots of pollutants (treatment inhaler)
vaping = bad for respiratory system
Reproductive System Changes with age-women
Women:
- menopause 45-50s: ovulation stops
- decrease in estrogen and progesterone: bone mass density lose, increase in cardiovascular disease etc.
-changes to vagina and sex life: vaginal walls thin out, size of vagina decreeses, decreased lubrication
