LC 3.2 Changes in Structure and Function with Age Flashcards
<p>What happens to organs as you age? </p>
<p>They decrease in size, apart from the heart which gets bigger</p>
<p>When does ageing begin?</p>
<p>30</p>
<p>What main factors contribute to ageing?</p>
<p>Genetics
Cell damage
Lifestyle
Disease</p>
<p>What structural changes are seen in lungs due to ageing?</p>
<p>Reduced elastic recoil Increased wall stiffness Reduced respiratory muscle strength Reduced intervertebral space Reduced surface area Reduced pulmonary capillary volume</p>
<p>What ventilatory control changes are seen due to ageing?</p>
<p>Reduced responsiveness to hypoxia/hypercapnia
| Reduced protective reflexes in the airways</p>
<p>For which prognostic score for pneumonia is age a factor?</p>
<p>CURB 65
~~~
(Not important - context:
Used to estimate prognosis of pneumonia patient based on:
Confusion
Urea increase
Respiratory rate
BP
Age >65
~~~
Score from 0 to 5 given, one for each factor - 5 is worst)</p>
<p>What changes in blood pressure are seen with age?</p>
<p>Increase in PREDOMINANTLY SYSTOLIC blood pressure</p>
<p>What causes blood pressure changes with age?</p>
<p>The larger elastic artery walls become thicker and stiffer with age</p>
<p>What happens to the heart structurally with age and why?</p>
<p>Left ventricular enlargement due to pumping against high pressure</p>
<p>What changes are seen in cardiac function with age?</p>
<p>Decreased beta adrenergic stimulation
Ejection fraction remains the same at rest
Decrease in HR &amp; CO response to exercise or stress</p>
<p>What conditions of baroreceptors/heart rate reflexes exist?</p>
<p>Postural hypotension
Carotid sinus syndrome - carotid bodies begin to respond to external pressure as well as internal pressure so that turning of the head or shaving can lower heart rate and vasodilate to reduce flow to the brain via cerebral auto-regulation</p>
<p>what is the treatment for carotid sinus syndrome?</p>
<p>pacemaker</p>
<p>What GI changes occur with age?</p>
<p>reduced taste buds
reduced saliva
reduced stomach HCl production
reduced gut motility</p>
<p>What common dietary problems occur with age?</p>
<p>malnutrition and deficiencies (not due to poor absorption but actually due to reduced intake)</p>
<p>What changes in glucose homeostasis occur with age?</p>
<p>Insulin resistance, causing higher and longer peak of blood glucose after a glucose load</p>
<p>What changes occur in osmoregulation with age? What does this lead to?</p>
<p>Decreased sensation of thirst due to a poorer response to water deprivation and reduced ability to produce ADH.
Higher risk of dehydration as a result</p>
<p>What pharmacokinetic changes are seen with age? What alteration to drugs must be made as a result?</p>
<p>Reduced first pass metabolism due to reduced liver size
Decreased body water distribution volume
Increased fat distribution volume
Increased blood brain barrier permeability
Increased tissue sensitivity
Reduced renal and hepatic clearance
Drug dose must be reduced </p>
<p>What changes are seen in the immune system with age? What does this lead to?</p>
<p>Reduction in number and function of T helper lymphocytes
Reduction in size of thymus gland
Reduced B cell antibody production
Less IgE production
more infections</p>
<p>What happens to frequency of allergies with age?</p>
<p>Allergies decrease due to loss of immune system function (IgE reduction)</p>
<p>What causes shingles?</p>
<p>late reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (chickenpox)</p>
<p>By what order is the risk of shingles increased between the ages of 45 and 85?</p>
<p>5 times</p>
<p>What renal changes occur with age?</p>
<p>Reduction in kidney size
reduction in renal blood flow
reduction in glomerular filtration rate
reduced renin &amp; aldosterone levels</p>
<p>How is renal function measured?</p>
Serum creatinine used to calculate creatinine clearance using Cockcroft and Gault equation
What happens to creatinine levels with age and why?
Stays the same because even though the kidney is clearing less of it, there is less muscle present to produce it
What ocular changes occur with age?
pupil size decreases ciliary muscles weaken (presbyopia) Lens grows in size and yellows/darkens lens elasticity decreases retina and optic pathway cells lost
What changes occur in the ears with age?
Degeneration of cochlear cells
loss of high frequency hearing (presbyacusis)
How can voice be adapted to help presbyacutic listeners?
deepen voice
slow voice
increase volume
What structural changes can be seen with age? What does this help old people adapt against?
ventricle size increases due to decreased cortical volume
Reduced cerebral blood flow
loss of neurones and connections
This is good news in reducing haemorrhage from subdural haemotomas
What cognitive changes occur with normal ageing?
memory loss:
working and declarative/episodic memory affected worst
procedural memory affected least
(dementia is abnormal)
What happens to the skeletal system with age?
Slow decline in bone mass after 30 years of age
accelerated by menopause in women (osteoporosis)
