Middle Adulthood Flashcards
Middle adulthood in chronological terms is the years between ages __.
40 and 65
A time not primarily of decline and loss but also of mastery, competence and growth- a time or reevaluating goals and aspirations and deciding how best to use the remaining part of the life span.
Middle age
Behavioral and lifestyle factors dating from __ can affect the likelihood, timing and extent of physical change.
Youth
People who lead _ lives lose muscle tone and energy and become even less inclined to exert themselves physically.
Sedentary lives
Age related visual problems occur mainly in five areas which are:
Near vision
Dynamic vision
Sensitivity to light
Visual search
Speed & processing visual information
Common age related visual problem.
Visual acuity/ Sharpness of vision
Because of changes in the pupil of the eye, middle aged people may need about __ brightness to compensate for the loss of light reaching the retina.
1/3
Many people ages _ and older need reading glasses for presbyopia.
40
A lessened ability to focus on near objects- a condition associated with aging.
Presbyopia
The meaning of prefix “presby”.
With age
The incidence of _ (nearsightedness) also increases through middle age.
Myopia
A gradual hearing loss, rarely noticed earlier in life, speeds up in the _.
50’s
A condition of hearing loss, normally limited to higher-pitched sounds than those used in speech.
Presbycusis
Hearing loss precedes twice as quickly in __.
Men
Which gender tends to retain sensitivity to taste and smell longer?
Women
Adults begin to lose sensitivity to touch after age _, and to pain after age _.
45; 50
People feel pain _, and become _ able to tolerate it.
Less
Less
The peak ages of strength and coordination which gradually declines during middle adulthood.
20’s
Some loss of muscle strength is noticeable by age _.
45
Percentage of maximum strength that may be gone by 60.
10-15 %
The reason for losing muscle strength is a loss of muscle fiber, which is replaced by _.
Fat
It reflects birth weight and muscle growth earlier in life as well as parents’ childhood socioeconomic status and an important predictor of future disability, functional losses and mortality.
Grip strength
It can prevent muscle loss and even regain strength.
Strength training
Loss of endurance results from a gradual decrease in the rate of _ after 40.
Basal metabolism
Use of energy to maintain vital functions.
Basal metabolism
Manual dexterity generally becomes _ after the midthirties.
Less efficient
Simple reaction time slows very little until about age _ but choice reaction time slows gradually throughout adulthood.
50
By __ or __ decade, the skin may become less taut and smooth as the layer of fat below the surface becomes thinner, collagen molecules more rigid and elastin fibers more brittle.
Fifth or sixth decade
Hair may become __, due to a slowed replacement rate and __ as production of melanin declines.
Thinner, grayer
Middle aged people tend to __ as a result of accumulation of body fat.
Gain weight
They tend to lose height due to __.
Shrinkage of intervertebral disks.
Bone density normally peaks in the _ or _.
20’s or 30’s
Bone loss happens as more __ is absorbed than replaced, causing bones to become thinner and more brittle.
Calcium
Bone loss accelerates in the fifties and sixties, it occurs twice as rapidly in __.
Women
What are the activities in the earlier adulthood tends to speed bone loss?
Smoking, alcohol use and poor diet
Joints may become stiffer as a result of accumulated _.
Stress
Large proportions of middle aged and even older adults show __ or __ in organ functioning.
Little/ No decline
Heart begins to pump more slowly in midfifties. By 65, it may lose up to 40 % of it’s _.
Aerobic power
__ of hearts become thicker and more rigid.
Arterial walls
Heart disease becomes more common beginning in the _ or _.
Late 40’s or early 50’s.
The maximum volume of air the lungs can draw in and expel. It may begin to diminish at about age 40 and may drop by as much as __percent by age 70.
Vital capacity
40%
Temperature regulation and immune response may become to __ and sleep may become __.
Weaken;
Less deep
Cessation of menstrual and of ability to bear children.
Menopause
Menopause is considered to have occurred __ after the last menstrual period. This happens on average at about age _ to _.
1 year
50-52
Menopause is not a single event but a process, now called _.
Menstrual transition
Beginning in her __ and __, a woman’s production of mature ova begins to decline and the ovaries produce less of estrogen.
mid 30’s and mid 40’s
The period of 3 to 5 years during which the slowing of hormone production and ovulation occurs, prior and during the 1st year after menopause, is called:
Perimenopause
Most women experience menopause between ages _ and _.
45 and 55
Short term, low-dose administration of _ is the most effective way to alleviate hot flashes, but it carries serious risks.
Artificial estrogen
Testosterone levels decrease slowly after the _, about _% a year.
30s
1 %
The decline in testosterone has been associated with reductions in __ and __ as well as decreased energy, lower sex drive, overweight, emotional irritability and depressed mood.
Bone density
Muscle mass
Low testosterone also has been linked to __ and __ (diseases) and may increase mortality.
Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erect penis sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. Popularly called impotence.
Erectile dysfunction
Frequency of sexual activity and satisfaction with sex life tend to diminish gradually during __ and __.
40s and 50s
Possible physical causes of decreased sexual satisfaction.
Chronic diseases, surgery, medications and too much food or alcohol.
Possible causes of a decline in frequency of sexual activity.
Monotony in relationship
Less energy
Occasional or chronic pains
Fatigue
No longer stay awake with ease
Chronically high blood pressure.
Hypertension
Disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin.
Diabetes
A hormone that converts sugar, starches and other foods into energy needed for daily life.
Insulin
People who do not smoke, exercise regularly, drink alcohol only in moderation and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables have 4x less mortality risk in midlife and old age- equivalent to __ years difference than people who do not follow these behaviors.
14 years
Excess weight in middle age increases the risk of __ and __ even in healthy people and those who have never smoked.
Impaired health & death
People with __ socioeconomic status tend to have poorer health, shorter life expectancy, lower well being, chronic diseases and more restricted access to health care.
Low
People with higher SES tend to have greater __ over what happens to them as they age and tend to choose _ lifestyle.
Sense of control
Healthier
Which gender has higher expectancy and lower death rates throughout life?
Women
Women’s greater longevity has been attributed to genetic protection given by __ (which men do not have) and before menopause, to beneficial effects of __, particularly on cardiovascular health.
Second x chromosome
Estrogen
Which gender are more likely to report being in fair or poor health and seek doctors or outpatient or emergency rooms more often?
Women
