Stress and Aging Flashcards
What is the definition of aging?
-a progressive, generalized impairment of function resulting in a loss of adaptative response to a stress and in a growing risk of age-associated disease
What are the rates of global aging in the 21st century?
-20th century – saw a global phenomenon of longevity
-average life expectancy at birth increased [mid 90s for women and mid 80s for men]
-by 2050, the population of older people will exceed that of children
-is a social phenomenon without historical precedent
-in 2002, number of persons > 60 years was 605 million
-by 2050, number is expected to reach almost 2 billion
What is responsible for the incredible increase in lifespan in the past 100 years?
-discovery of Penicillin (first antibiotic; fighting infection)
-now people die from cancer and cardiovascular diseases [lifestyle diseases]
-these are avoidable depending on lifestyle choices (not smoking, eating properly, etc.)
-now stress is killing people, before it was just infections
When did life expectancy being rising?
-there has been a huge increase in longevity
-in the late 1800s life expectancy started going up, people took more care of their hygiene
What is the traditional model of aging?
-early adulthood [20s]: peak physically
-middle adulthood [30s-40s]: less active, gain weight; physical capacities declining
-late adulthood [50s-60s]: bone loss, wrinkles, joints deteriorate, hearts become less efficient, less lung output
-old age [70s-90s]: muscle strength, bone density, heart and lung output decrease
What are the appearing health problems caused by aging?
-hair starts to thin & turn gray
-skin starts to dry out, wrinkle and becomes inelastic
-built up muscles & fat breaks down
-stature begins to shrink
-eyesight begins to fail, hard to focus on far & near objects (reading), difficulty seeing during darkness
-gradual loss of ability to hear
-gradual slowing of reaction times
What are some stats of changes in health when aging?
-1% decline in physical strength and senses each year
-25% of individuals over 65 are obese
-40% have one chronic disease (heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis)
-major causes of death in old age: heart disease, cancer or stroke
What are some changes in life situation when aging?
-by age 65, 50% of women & 20% of males lose spouses through death
-by age 80, 70% of women & 33% of males are alone
-across the generations: 6-widows for every widower [6 women have lost their husband for every 1 man that has lost their wife]
What are some changes in mental functioning when aging?
-“fluid Intelligence” – ability to solve abstract relational problems decreases
-“crystallized Intelligence” – ability to accumulate knowledge and learning continues
-difficulty in retrieving information from memory
-some decline in process speed
-senile Dementia: forgetfulness, memory loss, disorientation, impaired thinking and attention, altered personality, difficulty in relation to others
How does the adult brain continue to change and adapt throughout life?
-adults grow new brain cells throughout life.
-the brain has a remarkable repair capability, even in late adulthood.
-ability to acquire new knowledge continues.
-thinking flexibility increases with experience.
-higher education levels are linked to less cerebral cortex atrophy from ages 60 to 90.
How does memory change in older adults?
-some aspects of memory decline, mainly episodic and working memory
-semantic memory remains largely intact
-successful aging involves reducing and adapting to memory decline
-older adults often outperform younger adults in prospective memory tasks
What are the theories explaining why we age?
-Programmed Theories -Cellular Clock Theory
-Hormonal Stress Theory
-Damage theories - Free-Radical Theory
What is the Cellular Clock Theory of aging?
-proposed by Leonard Hayflick, it suggests cells can divide only about 75–80 times before losing the ability to divide
-this limits the human lifespan to approximately 120 years
-telomeres, which cap chromosomes, shorten with each cell division
-telomere erosion is linked to impaired stress recovery and increased cancer risk
What is the Hormonal Stress Theory of aging?
-aging affects the body’s hormonal system, reducing resilience to stress and increasing disease risk.
-stress hormones remain elevated longer in older adults compared to younger individuals.
-prolonged high levels of stress hormones are linked to increased risks of diseases like heart disease and cancer.
[according to this theory, our body has too much cortisol and is unable to get the levels down]
How do environmental and genetic factors influence health in old age?
-environmental factors become more important, while genetic influence declines
-aging is not entirely predetermined
-frailty in old age is largely avoidable and reversible
What are common stressors and their effects on older adults?
-older adults face physical, medical, and social stressors.
-stress can trigger diseases like diabetes, high BP, and anxiety.
-common stressors include: chronic health conditions (e.g., heart disease, arthritis, cancer); perceived loss of social status after retirement; death of a spouse, child, or sibling.
How does loss and grief affect older adults?
-loss of a spouse is highly stressful; over 1 million were widowed in 2003, rising to 1.5 million annually by 2030.
-sensory and physical disabilities can cause grief and loss.
-retirement/job loss leads to loss of social status and stress.
-intense grief lasts 6–12 months, often causing social withdrawal.
-acceptance and resumption of normal interaction typically take about a year.
How does substance abuse affect older adults?
-a growing issue, especially alcohol abuse
-more common in older men, causing physical and mental health problems.
-effects are exaggerated in older adults
-lowers self-esteem, coping skills, and harms relationships
-warning signs are less obvious (e.g., less likely to be caught at work or in public)
How important is physical activity for successful aging?
-physical activity is essential for successful aging, regardless of other factors
-sedentary lifestyles are as risky as smoking for health and longevity
-fitness outweighs other risk factors and acts as an antidote to many health risks, making it the most important factor for staying healthy in old age
