Ch. 3: Physical Changes Associated with Aging Flashcards
Aging theories fall into two main categories:
- Programmed theories
- Error theories
Programmed aging theories
- aging is genetically programmed to occur with the passage of time
- programmed aging theories propose that aging and death are built into the hard-wiring of all organisms and therefore are part of the genetic code
Error/random aging theories
- aging is the result of random damage that occurs with the process of living
- aging is caused by environmental damage to systems in our bodies. This damage accumulates over time
Gompertz function
(ex of programmed aging)
- plots the relationship between age and death rates for a given species
- species live to different maximum ages (life span)
- ex: relationship between the age in days of mice and rats and the rate of dying per day
- the fact that different species have different functions supports the notion of genetic contributions to longevity
“Good genes gone bad” theory
(ex of programmed aging)
- evolution has selected for species that are vigorous through the period of optimal sexual reproduction and then are less important once that period is passed
Replicative senescence
(ex of programmed aging)
- the loss of the ability of cells to reproduce
Telomere theory
(ex of programmed aging)
- each cell replication reduces the length of telomeres until the chromosome’s tips are no longer protected
Hayflick limit
Autoimmune theory
(programmed aging)
proposes that faulty immune system attacks the body’s cells
Cross-linking theory
(error/random aging)
- In cross-linking, the strands of the collagen molecule start to become intertwined, causing the molecules to become increasingly more rigid and smaller
- results from exposure to certain kinds of sugars which leads to glycation, causing formation of advances end-products (AGE’s)
Free radical Theory
(error/random aging)
- unstable oxygen molecules are produced when cells create energy
- they seek out and bind to other molecules
- the attacked molecule then loses its functioning
Antioxidants can fend off free radicals
Error catastrophe
(error/random aging)
- proposes that random mutations in mitochondrial DNA cause irreversible damage that accumulates over time
Wear and Tear Theory
(error/random aging)
- proposes that our bodies wear out due to use over time
Two types of skin aging and their definition
- Intrinsic aging: gradual irreversible changes in structure and function that occur due to the passage of time
- Extrinsic aging: aging due to external factors such as exercise, diet, exposure to sunlight, and smoking
Androgenetic Alopecia
- (Male/Female-Pattern Baldness)
- 30-50% of men are affected by this by age 50
Greying pf the hair due to reduced _______________, which occurs earlier in Caucasians than those of African and Asian descent
melanin/melanocytes
This happens 5-10 years later in African and Asian descent
What causes hair to grow everywhere but the head as we age?
Hormonal changes
Presbyphonia
refers to age-related voice changes including :
- changes in pitch (lower pitch in women, higher pitch in men)
- reduction in volume and projection
- tremor/shakiness in the voice
- reduced vocal endurance
- often happens around age 60
age related vision changes are due to structural changes like
- older adults need more light than younger adults. They get 1/3 of a light because the max diameter of pupil is smaller in older people
- increased sensitivity to glare
- decreased visual acuity
- dark and light adaptation takes longer
- poorer color discrimination for short wave lengths
- focusing near-far and far-near takes longer
Presbyopia
- means old eye
- not considered a disease
- primary aging
- happens to tall people later
- start early as 35 years old
- late 40s
- gonna have difficulty on focusing things that are close up
- stiffening and thickening of the lens & atrophy of ciliary muscles
- inability to accommodate
- normal accommodation is lost in presbyopia
Cataracts
- abnormal vision change
- cause scattering of light rays
- can interfere with color vision
- cause limitations in daily activities
- possible causes: heredity, prior injury, disease, sunlight, smoking
- surgery is a highly effective treatment
Glaucoma
- abnormal vision change
- build up of pressure inside the eye
- often involves gradual onset
- treatment not always possible, but many can be treated with eye drops
- group of conditions involving damage of optic nerve
What are the other 2 vision changes that are not normal part of aging
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Diabetic retinopathy: possible long term complication of diabetes
Presbycusis
- inability to hear high-pitched tones due to changes in the cochlea
- by age 70, half of older people have presbycusis
Audiogram
- hearing test
Presbycusis impact for speech understanding
- some speech sounds will be harder to distinguish
- some populations will be harder to understand: women & children because they have high-pitched voices
Hearing threshold is worse for men than women. Why?
- type of jobs they have
Communication strategies for talking to older adults
- look directly at the person
- make sure you and the other person are in enough light
- turn down background noises
- don’t chew gum or food
- keep the voice low
- enunciate carefully
- do not talk to the person as of he or she were a child
- provide context so the listener knows what you’re talking about
- note whether the other person is responding to you
- maintain positive and patient attitude
Anosmia
- changes in smell
- has been described as the “canary in the coalmine” with regards to overall physiological declines and death
- also an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease & memory impairment
- usually happens by age 80
Changes in taste with old age
- the research on changes in taste perception with age is contradictory
- some studies indicate no decline, and other studies indicate declines but not for all types of taste
Changes in touch with old age
- hands & feet are more affected than the lips & tongue
- research that has been done indicates that tactile thresholds increase significantly with age, as do thresholds for pain and temperature
Myth or Fact
Pain is a normal part of aging
Myth. Pain is not a normal part of aging
How to manage pain:
- Pharmacological- non narcotic and narcotic medications
- Non-pharmacological
-therapeutic touch, massage, vibration, heat, cold
-electrical stimulation to spine or pain site
-acupuncture and acupressure
-biofeedback
-distraction techniques
-relaxation, meditation, and imagery
-hypnosis, self-induced or by another person
Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
- an umbrella term for conditions including arteriosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and stroke
Risk of death form cardiovascular diseases is ___% for 25-34 year olds and ___% for 85 years +
7.4%, 42.4%
Examples of modifiable CVD risk factors
- obesity
- high cholesterol
- tobacco use
- physical inactivity
- hypertension
- high triglycerides
- diabetes
- being poor
- high low-density lipoprotein
- high saturated fat diet
- excessive use of alcohol
Examples of un-modifiable CVD risk factors
- age
- gender
- family history of CVD
- ethnicity
Innate immune system
- present at birth
- includes physical barriers, chemical barriers, and white blood cells that activate in response to infectious and non-infectious agents
Adaptive immune system
- develops over time through exposure to certain pathogens
- B or T cells that are activated create immunological memory, building up resistance to attack over time -this is the basis for vaccination
TRUE or FALSE
Both innate and adaptive immune systems decline with age
TRUE
Infectious diseases account for roughly ____(fraction) of all deaths in persons 65 years and older
1/3
This can increase the risk for exposure to infections, such as MRSA
hospital/long-term care stays
Diabetes Mellitus
- is a disease in which your body either can’t produce insulin or can’t properly use the insulin it produces resulting in difficulty regulating blood sugars
This type of diabetes is insulin-dependent diabetes that usually develops earlier in life
Type I
This type of diabetes typically develops in adulthood and is often managed through diet
Type II
Type I and II diabetes lead to chronic elevated glucose and this results into: (7)
- nerve damage
- kidney disorder
- cardiovascular disease
- diabetic retinopathy
- glaucoma
- gangrene
- atherosclerosis
Diabetes is best understood in terms of the ____________ model
Biopsychosocial
Biological= changes in glucose metabolism, changes in insulin production, obesity (more likely to become type I diabetic)
Psychological= sedentary lifestyle; also associated with depression and stress
Sociocultural= habitual eating patterns, lack of education, low economic resources
This hormones control the basal metabolic rate (BMR)
Thyroid hormones
BMR slows in middle age partly due to decreases in thyroid hormones
Subclinical hypothyroidism
- may affect 15-18% of 60+
- your numbers are just beneath that level but you’re still experiencing the symptoms
Changes in height during aging
- height decreases across adulthood, particularly for women
- due to loss of bone mineral content in the vertebrate
Changes in weight during aging
- fat-free mass (FFM) decreases- bone, muscle
- body mass index (BMI) increases from the 20s to the 50s
- in later years, weight declines due to loss of bone and muscle though some still grow obese
Osteoporosis
- a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced. Over time, it weakens bones, making them less dense, more brittle and more likely to break
- bones are becoming more thin and more porous
What are good for your bones?
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Resistance training
Sarcopenia
- progressive declines in muscle mass and strength
- begins in one’s 30s and 40s
- can be prevented with exercise
______________ and _______________ are both common age-related degenerative diseases in the musculoskeletal system that can affect physical activity as well as everyday functional capacity (ex: sitting & getting up form the toilet)
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis
- due to wear and tear of joints
- cartilage is worn away
- bone is rubbing on bone
- can only see in one knee or one finger on one hand
Rheumatoid arthritis
- can see on both sides of the body because it’s not due to wear and tear
Changes in the ________________ impact balance
vestibular system
This is one of the main factors responsible for falls which, in turn, can lead to institutionalization and death
Loss of balance
These are the leading cause of injury in older adults
Falls
- previous falls also increase risk of later falls
- falls can create a fear of falling which in turn increases the risk even more
Causes of Falls can be ____________, _____________, and ____________
- Situational= e.g., rushing to the bathroom or to answer the phone
- Intrinsic= e.g., impaired balance and gait, visual impairment, cardiovascular problems, medication
- Environmental= e.g., slippery surfaces, unsafe footwear, rugs
Fall Prevention
- wear proper eyeglasses
- wear sturdy footwear
- use prosthesis while walking
- install balance aids in the home
- become trained in taking care while walking
- get shower chair or bath bench
- install hand-held shower head
- sit while grooming
- have sturdy stepstools if needed in kitchen
- keep the cell phone handy
These can reduce risk of falls
- exercise
- tai chi
- balance training
Age-related changes in neurons
- number of neurons declines
- number and size of dendrites
- tangles develop in axon fibers
- increases in deposits of proteins
- number of synapses decreases
Age-related changes in neurotransmitters
- dopamine is associated with higher-level cognitive functioning, so age related declines are related to poorer:
-episodic memory
-tasks that require fast processing - serotonin and acetylcholine also decline with age
Age-related changes in brain structures
- more white matter hyperintensities= worse cognitive functions
-indicates myelin loss or neural atrophy
-correlated with decreased cognitive functions - considerable shrinkage occurs in the brain especially in prefrontal cortex (responsible for executive functions), hippocampus (responsible for long term memory) and cerebellum (responsible for coordinating motor movements)
Menopause occurs in the mid-to-late 40s in women, with a reduction in ____________ and onset of infertility
estrogen/progesterone
Menopause symptoms
- hot flashes
- mood swings
- insomnia
- depression
- night sweats
- weight gain
- bone loss
- vaginal dryness
Treatments for menopause have evolved over time, and come with secondary risks of ______ and ____________
cancer and cardiovascular disease
Andropause symptoms
not all men experience andropause
- changes in sexual function
- changes in sleep patterns
- physical changes
- emotional changes (decrease in motivation, self confidence)
- cognitive changes (having trouble remembering things)
Changes in the urinary system
With increasing age:
- kidneys get smaller and blood flow to the kidneys decreases
- volume of fluid through the kidneys decreases
- kidneys lose the ability to balance the amount of salt and acid in the body
- bladder tissue declines in capacity to hold urine
- urinary frequency/urgency increases
TRUE or FALSE
Older people can overdose more quickly than younger people
TRUE
Sever incontinence ________(increases/decreases) with age and it is more common in _________ than _________
increases
women than men
people with incontinence are lonelier than people without incontinence
How to improve sleep
- limit caffeine intake late in the day
- avoid alcohol intake before bedtime
- avoid big meals or spicy foods just before bedtime
- minimize liquid intake before sleep
- engage in regular exercise
- ensure your bedroom is conductive to sleep
- eliminate distractions
- keep a regular bed-time routine
- avoid or limit the use of sleeping pills
Our current health status is determined by many factors such as
- individual characteristics
- physical environment
- social and economic environment (having more money, more education)
- individual behaviors (exercise, smoking, using sunscreen)
TRUE or FALSE
Physical health is not just a matter of biological influences
TRUE
There’s social and psychological too
TRUE or FALSE
Bladder dysfunction is a normal part of aging
False
TRUE or FALSE
Older adults poop their pants regularly
False, only 4% of seniors suffer from fecal incontinence
