Chapters 1 & 2 Flashcards
When did Atul Gawande meet his wife Kathleen?
1985
Where was Kathleen from?
Alexandria, Virginia
How old was Alice Hobson in 1985?
77
Where did Alice Hobson live?
Greencastle Street, Arlington, Virginia
What kind of car did Alice Hobson drive?
V8 Chevrolet Impala
What was different about Alice Hobson compared to Sitaram Gawande?
Alice Hobson lived completely by herself and did everything independently, while Sitaram lived with his extended family, who took care of him.
Where did Sitaram Gawande come from?
Uti (300 miles from Mumbai)
How did Sitaram Gawande die?
subdural hematoma from falling off a bus
What did Rich Hobson’s medical history consist of?
angina, took nitroglycerin tablets,
When and what did the Rich Hobson die of?
1965, heart attack
In Europe, after the nuclear family replaced the extended family, who usually stayed with the parents during their old age?
The youngest daughter
Where did Emily Dickinson come from?
Amherst, Massachusetts
What does the term “age heaping” mean?
It’s a phenomenon in which people have always lied about their age.
Around when did age heaping reverse to people’s age becoming younger vs older?
During the mid 18th century
Which country was the first country with over 100 million elderly people?
China
Why do people no longer turn to the elderly for information about the world?
Because they have been replaced with new technology
What issue can occur to those living in a traditional household?
generational tension
What kind of benefits did children who stayed behind to help their parents get?
financial security, stability, gained more land/shares, etc.
What does a lot of economic prosperity rely on?
What does a lot of economic prosperity rely on?
What are some benefits to elderly people after the age of the independent self?
They were able to sell land, gain more savings, and retire
Who popularized the term “retirement community”?
Del Webb
What was Del Webb’s retirement community called and what did in include?
.
Sun City,
- included a shopping mall,
- recreational center
- etc
How did the average age a mom had her last child change?
From menopause to 30 or younger
What term did a lot of elderly people prefer after living on their own during the age of the independent self?
“intimacy at a distance”
What did people view separation of families as?
Freedom
Where is Sun City located?
Phoenix, Arizona
What is the biggest problem with the age of the independent self?
It doesn’t support the reality of old age (inevitable)
What did the doctor prescribe Alice Hobson after she had fallen several times and began to feel confused?
Calcium for thinning bones
What did Gobikabai Gawande die of and how old was she when she died?
malaria, 30 yrs old
What is osteoporosis?
a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, typically as a result of hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D.
Over the course of their lifetime, how much mass do the muscles of the jaw lose?
40%
How much mass do the bones of the mandible (lower jaw) lose over the course of a human lifetime?
20%
For people over the age of 60,what fraction of teeth have they lost (living in US) on
average?
1/3
After the age of 85, what percentage of people have no teeth at all?
40%
What can help avert tooth loss?
Scrupulous dental care
When the ability to chew declines and people shift to softer foods, why do they cause more cavities?
Softer foods have a higher amount of fermented carbs
What is the hardest substance in the body?
white enamel
What happens to salive and blood flow to the teeth as time increases?
Saliva diminishes & blood flow atrophies
What happens to the gums of elderly people?
They become inflamed and pull away causing the
base of the teeth to become unstable.
What has research said about predicting death from atherosclerotic disease (plaque
buildup on artery walls)?
loss of bone density is a better predictor than
cholesterol levels
What happens to blood vessels, joints, muscles, and valves of the heart (& lungs) as
people age?
They pick up calcium and harden
How many of us develop hypertension by the age of 65?
1/2
When is the heart’s peak output?
the age of 30
By what age does one lose a 1/4 and a 1/2 of their muscle
weight?
the age of 80
By what age do people begin to lose muscle mass and power?
the age of 40
How many joints does the hand have?
29
How many named nerve branches does the hand have?
48
Deterioration of ___________ in the
pads of fingers cause loss of
sensitivity to touch
cutaneous mechanoreceptors
Where is 40% of muscle mass in your hands located?
thenar muscles
From age 50, what percentage do people lose their bone
density each year?
1%
What happens to the heart as blood vessels stiffen?
They increase blood pressure and the muscle walls thicken
What can cause the joints of the hand to deteriorate?
osteoarthritis
What is the difference in the musculature of the thenar muscles of the thumb in an
elderly person vs a young person?
Elderly people have flat muscles.
What cause loss of dexterity in one’s hand?
loss of motor neurons
What does loss of dexterity cause?
Loss of handwriting, speed, and vibrations
How much does the brain weigh when a person is in their mid 30s?
3 lbs
How much gray matter space is left in an elderly person’s brain cavity?
1 in
What is the first part of the brain to shrink during old age?
frontal lobe
What does the frontal lobe of the brain deal with?
judgement & planning
What part of the brain deteriorates second?
hippocampus
Due to the deterioration of the frontal lobe and hippocampus, what happens to people after mid-life?
They can no longer multi-task.
When do processing speed begin to decrease?
before 40s
What is the name of the worm/nematode that scientists used to experiment single gene alterations to increase lifespans?
C. elegans
