Chapter 17: Physical Development in Late Adulthood Flashcards
Life span
The max number of years an individual can live (120-125)
Life expectancy
The number of years that will probably be lived by the avg person
Latino Health Paradox
Despite having lower educational attainment and income levels, latinos have a higher life expectancy than other groups in the USA
Why can women expect to live longer than men?
Men are more likely to die from leading causes of death than women and have more unhealthy behaviors
Women (and females of virtually every species) are more resistant to infection and degenerative diseases
What are the leading causes of death?
Respiratory cancer, motor accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, emphysema
Among various groups, the longest average longevity in the US belongs to the _______.
7th Day Adventists (88 yrs)
Centenarians
People 100+ years old
The number of centenarians is increasing by __% each year.
7
Supercentenarians
People 110+
Compression of morbidity
Centenarians experience chronic high-mortality diseases much later than most people
What factors are associated with living to be 100?
- Compression of morbidity
- longevity genes
- ability to cope with stress
- no smoking habits
- no obesity
Where do people live the longest?
Okinawa, Japan
When is late adulthood?
60-125
Young-old vs oldest-old
y-o: 60-85
o-o: 85+
Evolutionary theory of aging
Natural selection has not eliminated many harmful conditions and nonadaptive characteristics in older adults; thus, the benefits conferred by evolution decline with age because natural selection is linked to reproductive fitness
Cellular clock theory
Leonard Hayflick’s theory that the max number of times that human cells can divide is about 75 to 80; so, as we age, our cells have less capacity to divide
Telomerase
Enzyme found in cancerous cells, can extend the life of cells
Telomeres
Long telomeres are associated with longer life
Free-radical theory
People age because when cells metabolize energy, unstable oxygen molecules (free radicals) are produced and ricochet around cells, causing damage
Mitochondrial theory
Aging is caused by decay of mitochondria
Sirtuins
Family of proteins that have been proposed to have important influences on longevity, mitochondria functioning in energy, stress resistance, calorie restriction benefits, and cardiovascular functioning
mTOR pathway
Cellular pathway involving the regulation of growth & metabolism that has been proposed as a key aspect of longevity
Hormonal stress theory
Aging in hormonal system can decrease resistance to stress and increase likelihood of disease
On average, the brain loses __ to __% of its weight between ages 20-90.
5, 10
What key brain structures decrease in volume?
Frontal lobes, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex
Decline in memory is linked to lower _______ volume
gray matter
T or F
Adults lose their knee jerk reflex with age.
True
T or F
Synaptic functioning increases in old age
False, decreases
Neurogenesis
Generation of new neurons
T or F
Neurogenesis still occurs in adulthood
True, sometimes
Where can neurogenesis occur in human adults?
Hippocampus, olfactory bulb
Can dendritic growth occur in human adults?
Yes
T or F
Ability to sleep doesn’t change throughout adulthood in general.
False, decreases
Sleep problems are associated with _______.
health problems
What changes in physical appearance take place in late adulthood?
Wrinkles, age spots, sagging, weight loss, decreased height
What changes in movement take place in late adulthood?
Slower movement, decreased mobility (related to obesity), risk of falling
Changes in vision in late adulthood
Reduction in quality/intensity of light reaching the retina
Worsened color vision and depth perception
T or F
Sensory decline is linked with cognitive decline
True
Cataracts
Thickening of the nes of the eye that causes cloudy, distorted vision
Glaucoma
Damage to optic nerve because of the pressure created by a buildup of fluid in the eye
Macular degeneration
Disease involving deterioration of the macula of the retina which corresponds to the focal center of the visual field
Changes in hearing in late adulthood
Loss of high-frequency hearing, loss of middle-frequency hearing (75+)
Changes in smell and taste in late adulthood
Loss begins around 60 yrs, decline less in healthy adults
Changes in touch and pain in late adulthood
Harder to detect touch in lower body extremities, persistent pain (back, joints, peripheral neuropathic pain), decreased sensitivity to pain
A rise in blood pressure with age can be linked with _______.
illness, obesity, stiffening of blood vessels, stress, or lack of exercise
T or F
Lung capacity decreases in late adulthood.
True
What changes occur in sexuality in late adulthood?
Less frequent orgasms, more direct stimulation needed for erection, eventual decline in sexual actiity
5 reasons older adults have sex
- maintain functioning
- feel young again
- feel attractive, desirable
- to go from lust to love
- to change from “getting sex” to “giving sex”
_______ is the most common chronic disorder in late adulthood, followed by _______.
Arthritis, hyperextension
Health causes of death in late adulthood
Cancer, cardiovascular disease
Arthritis
Inflammation of joints, accompanied by pain, stiffness, and movement problems
Osteoporosis
Extensive loss of bone tissue
Late-onset alcoholism
Develops at 65+
T or F
Exercise is important in late adulthood.
True
4 aspects of nutrition in older adults
- getting adequate nutrition
- avoiding obesity
- deciding whether to restrict caloie intake
- determining whether to take specific vitamin supplements
T or F
Nursing home and extended-care facility quality is a major concern.
True
Nursing home patients improve in health when given _______.
options for control
