1-2. Exercise and Aging

Question 1

Chronic vs. acute exercise?

Answer 1

• Chronic = repeated bouts of exercise

- Acute = single exercise bout

Question 2

Exercise bouts vs. physical activity?

Answer 2

• Exercise bouts may involve special clothing

- Physical activity can be done in everyday clothing

Question 3

What do all hypokinetic diseases have in common in terms of cause, time course, and symptomatology?

Answer 3

• Associated w/ inactivity and lack of exercise
• Asymptomatic for decades, then sudden catastrophic clinical precipitation
• Dz’s interact and are mutually causative
• Much easier to prevent than reverse
• All are quantitative
• Tight control arrests progression and limits events

Question 4

Define aging.

Answer 4

Fundamental, unavoidable alteration in biological function that occurs in a single organism w/ the passage of time

Question 5

What are the consequences of aging?

Answer 5

• Constriction of homeostatic range
• Decrease in disease resistance
• Decreased ability of the body to sustain reparative/maintenance functions (entropy starts to win)

Question 6

At what stage of life is the range of stressors tolerated best?

Answer 6

Right after early adulthood (mid-late 20s)

Question 7

List the hypokinetic diseases of aging.

Answer 7

• CVDs (hypertension, atherosclerosis)
• Obesity
• Diabetes (type II)
• Osteoporosis
• Sarcopenia
• Senility
• Some cancers (breast)

Question 8

Define mortality.

Answer 8

Rate of death, usually in deaths per 100,000 peeps per year

Question 9

Define morbidity.

Answer 9

Burden or suffering/disability imposed by disease that is hard to quantify –> economic impact

Question 10

Define incidence.

Answer 10

Rate at which new cases of a disease appear

Question 11

Define prevalence.

Answer 11

Frequency w/ which a disease is present in a population (%-age, or per 100,000)

Question 12

Define absolute risk.

Answer 12

• Death rate (usually per 100,000 peeps per year)

- Likelihood that one has or will acquire a disease based on their age, gender, and other risks

Question 13

Define relative risk.

Answer 13

A multiplier to adjust the background death rate up or down based on specific biological risks or behaviors

Question 14

What are risk factors?

Answer 14

Conditions that are statistically associated w/ incidence/presence of a disease

Question 15

Characterize independent risk factors.

Answer 15

• Shows a constant relationship to disease development, regardless of the presence or absence of other co-factors involved
• Often plausible as causal factors in the disease

Question 16

Define prognosis.

Answer 16

Likely course of events a disease will produce over time

Question 17

What are “preventable deaths”?

Answer 17

Delay-able deaths that are not biologically unavoidable

Question 18

Define progression.

Answer 18

Advancement of patho-physiologic process

Question 19

Define regression.

Answer 19

Reversal of patho-physiologic process

Question 20

Characterize dependent risk factors.

Answer 20

The connection to the disease depends on other factors

Question 21

List some dependent risk factors.

Answer 21

• Fam history
• Obesity
• Socio-economic status

Question 22

Do single bouts of exercise have direct health benefits? Examples?

Answer 22

If they accumulate to the recommended amount

Question 23

What adaptations to exercise only occur with repeated bouts (training)?

Answer 23

• Increased VO2max
• Protection against chronic diseases and CV events
• Longer life expectancy
• Improved endothelial function
• Decrease in blood lipids
• Decrease in BP

Question 24

Primary vs. Secondary prevention

Answer 24

• Primary: preventing a person from getting the disease

- Secondary: preventing the disease from progressing once the person has it

Question 25

What single intervention addresses all the hypokinetic diseases w/ minimal cost of public health care $$?

Answer 25

Physical activity

Question 26

What % of adults in the U.S. are doing enough physical activity to be healthy?

Answer 26

50%