Lecture 2: Aging Canadians, Theories of Aging, Costs of Aging Flashcards
What is Aging?
What is Gerontology?
Aging = Processes occurring in living organisms that with the passage of time lead to a loss of adaptability, functional impairment, and eventually death.
Gerontology = The study of aging, quality of aged life, the causes of differences in aging, and the factors that amplify these differences.
Describe the 5 definitions of aging (CBPSF):
Chronological age = Number of years a person has lived.
- Most age related decisions are based on it.
Biological = Relative age/condition of a person’s organs and body based on biomarkers.
- Varies between individuals, can depend on genetics.
Psychological = How old one feels.
- Can be higher or lower than their chronological age.
Social = One’s habits and roles relative to society’s expectations.
- Typically stop competing in sports at 21.
Functional = Measure of functional capabilities based on a standard.
- Ex. ADL’s
- Depends on physiological, psychological, and social age.
What is the difference between Primary and Secondary aging?
Primary Aging = Biological aging, where changes come with age within a human (aging processes).
Secondary Aging = The interaction of primary aging processes with diseases or the environment (process of aging).
- Things that cause us to age.
Explain the theories (4) that are proposed to cause aging (GDGD):
Genetic Theories = Aging is programmed in our genes, idea of a cell clock. Cells divide and reproduce a LIMITED number of times.
Damage Theories = Accumulation of micro-insults to the body, natural repair processes are overwhelmed.
Gradual Imbalance Theories = CNS, endocrine, and immune system being to fail at different rates.
Disuse Theories = bodily systems show deterioration that coincides with disuse. Over-attributed to aging.
What was interesting about the Canadian population in 2016?
What’s happening to the Canadian population in terms of age?
Where are the largest INC’s in age occurring?
It was the first time the number of aging people was more than the number of young people living in Canada.
People in Canada are getting older than they used to be. There’s also more old people now.
Largest INC in age is in the 100+ yrs category (41% INC).
Explain the 3 factors as to why everyone is getting so old:
Aging Baby Boomers (1946-1960):
- Largest birth cohort post WW2, lots of people born then are within the 65+ age range.
DEC fertility rate:
- Woman having fewer kids at older ages.
- Also have not replaced number of kids since baby boom.
INC life expectancy:
- Medical advancements are INC life expectancy.
- No major changes past 90 yrs of age, have not made the medical advancements to push that envelope yet.
What are the Costs of Aging?
- Degenerative diseases are the largest healthcare problem.
Societal Issues = lots of miserable and unproductive citizens.
Economic Issues = projected INC in costs by 600%.
- Biomedical Model sees aging as a disease.
Describe the study looking to compress morbidities:
- Morbidities occur at a linear rate and cost lots of money to treat. Preventing the morbidities is the ultimate goal but not always likely. Instead we want to postpone the morbidities as long as possible.
- Through healthy interventions and PA, can postpone morbidities to a later age in life, rather than have them occur very early.
