Lecture 29: Aging

Question 1

What are the 4 dimensions of a “Real Old Person”?

Answer 1

1) Attitude to self
- Old as you feel
2) Chronological age
- Old as your years
3) Social Attitudes
- Old as others make you
4) Biological changes
- Old as your arteries

Question 2

What are the different theories of causes of ageing?

Answer 2

1) Death gene (genetic program for destruction)- not persued anymore

2) Bombardment by cellular mechnaism by products (free radicals/negatively charged particles) - 10,000 hits per cell per day

3) DNA, cellular membranes, processes

4) Mainteance and repair

• Repair mechanisms costs us- take lots of energy and wear out.
• e.g. photocopier idea

5) Disposable soma theory (vs germ cell line)

• Protective mechanisms fail gradually
• Nutrition- Prevents DNA damage? (we are not made for sedantary life)

Question 3

What are the changes with age alone?

Answer 3

Psychological

• Verbal vs perfomance skills
• Attention e.g. competing voices

-Processing skills slower

-W_orking memory impaired_

Physiolgical

• _Muscle streng_th, stiffness
• Cardiac output
• Lung volume
• Renal function

Diseases more common in older age is not necessarily involved in changes due to age

Question 4

What are some Diseases that are more common in older age

Answer 4

(not the same as changes with age alone)

Psychological

-Cognitive decline and dementia

Psychological

• Frailty, disability, arthritis
• Congestive heart failure
• COPD
• Renal failure

Increased risk from

• Medications (e.g. interactions)
• Minor illness
• Immobility- 15% muscle strength/day

Question 5

Describe Functional reserve and threshold

Answer 5

Pink = range of function needed for usual ADL

Aerobic capacity training and Resistance capacity training significantly delays reaching the Pink line.