Cardiovascular Disease And Ageing Flashcards
Changes in the heart with ageing
-size may increase causing heart wall to thicken making difficult for the heart muscles to relax and fill with blood between beats
- artery walks narrows due to clogging by fats called cholesterol precinct blood from passing easily
- pacemaker cells decrease causing problems in the rhythm of the heart
- values that control the flow of blood thicken and become stiffer
Changes Ido having a stroke , heart attack and heart failure increase
Health factors that can exacerbate heart disease
Genetic inheritance Obesity High blood pressure Diabetes High blood cholesterol
Lifestyle factors that can increase the risk to cardriovascular disease
Smoking Alcohol Lack of exercise Diet high in salt Diet high in saturated fats
Effects of cardiovascular disease in later life
Negative Loss of independence Anger Depression Frustration Anxiety about health Lost of opportunity to develop new friends Reduced mobility Positive Closer relationships with family members and friends Choosing to improve lifestyle
Degeneration of nervous tissue causes
Effects on senses Decline in verbal capability Difficulty in receiving and processing info Decline in short term memory Increase in time taken to react
Degeneration of the sense organs
Taste: taste buds decrease reducing the enjoyment of food resulting in poor diet.
Production of saliva decreases affecting the taste and enjoyment of food. The ability to smell decrease reducing the ability to detect dangerous odours such as fumes and food that have gone off
Touch: reduced sensitivity to temperature leading to burns and frostbite or hypothermia.
Increased sensitivity to touch which can lead to bruising
Sight: vision becomes less sharp, eye muscles become weaker reducing the field of vision, cataracts may develop causing cloudiness in vision
Hearing: fluid filled tubes in the inner ear which help to maintain the balance becomes affects leading to dizziness and falls. The ability to hear high frequency sounds deteriorates
What is osteoarthritis?
The physical effects of osteoarthritis:
- swelling and pain in joints
- damage to the soft tissue around joints
- difficulty in walking
- difficulty in climbing stairs
The risk of osteoarthritis is in by
Being over 40 years of age Injury to joints Obesity Genetic inheritance Being female Joint abnormality
Dementia
Is a term that is used to deceive symptoms associated with damage to the functions of the brain such as memory loss
Facts about dementia
A stroke can cause dementia, because when the brain stop receiving blood supply the cells start to die
Smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise can increase the chances of dementia
The risk of dementia increases with age
Dementia is a progress disease
Alzheimer disease is the most common
Theories of ageing
Activity theory: individuals can achieve healthy ageing through continued social activity
- Robert Havinghust ( 1960s) is based on a belief that the social and psychological needs of individuals remit the same, people need activity and social interactions, people continue to involved them send in the community
Social disengagement theory: a reduction in social contact is natural in older age
- based on a belief that people naturally withdraw form social contact in older age, people focus on their previous life and activities, ageing can result in tranquilo and be a positive development, family expect less from older people
Ageing and economic effects
Health and welfare: older people already use more health and care services. A rise in number means a higher demand and increase costs
Pension costs: more people revive a state pension, leaving less money for economic investments
Employment: more retired people means a shortage of skilled workers
Housing: more retirements homes and sheltered housing are requieres. People stay in their own home longer so fewer larger homes are available for families
Government responses
Raising the retirement age
Making it easier for older people to stay in the work doing part time
Encouraging people in work to take out private pensions
Increased takes to pay for state pensions and welfare
