Intro to ageing week Flashcards
What is ageing?
Progressive, generalised impairment of function resulting in a loss of adaptive response to disease.
What are the hypotheses of ageing?
DNA damage – effects cell renewal and stem cells prevents cells repair
Free Radical theory of ageing – mitchondria produce free radicals which produce oxidative stress which accumulates with age
Telomeres – tips of chromosomes, shorten with cell division over time leads to cell senescence
Cross-linking theories – tendons, skin and blood vessels lose elasticty
What is the “Hayflick limit”?
No. of times a normal human cell can divide before cell division ceases
What is sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is a type of muscle loss that occurs with aging and/or immobility. It is characterized by the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality, and strength.
What is the consequences of sarcopenia?
Decline in physical function resulting in falls and frailty
How is sarcopenia diagnosed?
Presence of low muscle quantity or quality. When low muscle strength, low muscle quantity/quality and low physical performance are all detected, sarcopenia is considered severe.
What is the mechanism of sarcopenia?
A decrease in motor units, decrease in muscle fibres and increase in muscle fibre atrophy leads to decrease muscle mass and strength this results in sarcopenia.
What are other factors that that result in decreased muscle fibre and strength causing sarcopenia?
Nutrition
Hormones
Metabolic
Immunological
RAAS
What is the management of sarcopenia?
Exercise – resistance training, improves muscle strength and physical performance
Medication – no approved medications, some associated benefits ACEi, growth hormone, Vit D, amino acids supplementation
Nutrition – helps promote protein synthesis
What is frailty?
Loss of homeostasis and resilience
Increased vulnerability to decompensation after a stressor event
Increases risk of falls, delirium, disability, death
How do lifestyle factors predict survival in old age?
Not smoking, being part of a social network, and physical activity predict survival in people aged 75 years and over
Good health habits predict survival (and health) even in very old people
Dose-response effect
Lifestyle changes should be encouraged
What can physical activity in old age be protective against?
Heart disease
Diabetes
Some cancers
Mild depression
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
What are medical characteristics of old age?
Multimorbidity
Multiple medications
Illnesses can present in atypical ways
Falls, immobility, delirium
Need for rehabilitation
What is ageism?
Unacceptable behaviour that occurs as a result of the belief that older people are of less value than younger people.
