week 3

Question 1

define life expectancy

Answer 1

average number of years individuals in a particular birth cohort can be expected to live on the basis of current information that affects mortality

Question 2

define life span

Answer 2

maximum longevity, or extreme upper limit of time, members of a species can live. As life expectancy approaches life span, the survival curve takes on a more rectangular shape

Question 3

define morbidity and mortality

Answer 3

illness and disease, and mortality refers to death.

these two terms are related, but they are not the same.

Question 4

describe the trends seen in human life expectancy and human life span

Answer 4

human life expectancy has been increasing, but human life span has changed very little over time

Question 5

what is the life expectancy for Canada in 2023? what was the increase from 2022? 2021?

Answer 5

82.96 years

0.18% increase from 2022. that was a 0.18% increase from 2021.

Question 6

differentiate between primary and secondary aging

Answer 6

Primary aging refers to unavoidable (inevitable), intrinsic biological processes that affect all members of a species.

Secondary aging refers to biological processes due to disease, disuse, and abuse.

Question 7

what are the types of biological theories of aging? briefly describe

Answer 7

Programmed theories focus on genetic blueprints of various species.

Stochastic theories focus on random events and damage that occur as a function of living.

Question 8

differentiate between ADL and IADL

Answer 8

Activities of daily living (ADL) include basic personal care tasks required for self-maintenance

instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) include more complex activities required for carrying out the business of daily life.

Limitations in either or both occur more frequently in the 85+ age group.

Question 9

what are some unique features of the nun study?

Answer 9

multiple evaluations over many years

extensive data from early life

homogeneity in living conditions, working conditions, lifestyle

brain donation is a requirement

follow up easy - live in congregation
single cohort - 75 yrs old +

Question 10

what could be used to predict the presence of alzheimers?

Answer 10

those with higher brain and volume had lower chance of alzheimers.

bigger predictor is the vascular effect

low linguistic ability in early life

Question 11

differentiate between compression of morbidity and mortality

Answer 11

compression of morbidity: illness or extreme disability will occur only during a narrow period of time immediately prior to death

compression of mortality: where a greater proportion of deaths will occur during a very narrow time period toward the upper limit of the human life span. can be shown with rectangular survival curve

Question 12

what are the programmed theories of biological aging? describe them

Answer 12

time clock theory (cellular aging): suggests that the life span is controlled by a genetically determined time clock operating at the cellular level - inferred from the amount of cell division a cell undergoes

immune theory: immune system is programmed to maintain efficiency for a certain amount of time, after which it starts to decline

evolutionary theory: members of a species are genetically programmed to bear and rear their young. once they reproduce and raise their offspring to independence, they fulfilled their service in perpetuating the species.

Question 13

what are the stochastic theories of biological aging? describe them

Answer 13

error theory: errors occur at the cellular level from the organism’s metabolic processes or exposure to environmental factors such as radiation

wear and tear theory (rate of living theory): begins life with a fixed amount of physiological energy. if expended quickly, aging begins early and proceeds rapidly

stress theory: biological system sustains damage from prolonged exposure to stress

cross-linking theory: cross-linking affects metabolic functioning because it obstructs the passage of nutrients and waste products into and out of cells

free radical theory: focuses on unstable molecular fragments (free radicals), which are formed as a byproduct of the body’s normal metabolic processes. because of their instability, free radicals unite with molecules that happen their way, thereby preventing those molecules from functioning normally

Question 14

describe how nature affects the life expectancy?? of an individual

Answer 14

most people who live beyond age 70 have at least one parent or grandparent who lived into the 70s. the age of the mother’s death seems to be a better predictor of a person’s longevity

Question 15

differentiate between osteoarthritis and osteoporosis

Answer 15

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of degenerative joint disease, and risk factors include increasing age, obesity, heredity, low socioeconomic status, and female gender.

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by extreme loss of bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture.

Question 16

define hypertension

Answer 16

Hypertension is the term used when blood pressure is elevated to a danger zone, beyond what is typical with increasing age. Over time, hypertension can damage arterial walls and increase the risk of heart attacks, aneurysms, and strokes.

Question 17

what is a sign in the brain of alzheimers

Answer 17

aging brains accumulate neurofibrillary tangles (filaments of abnormal protein wrapped around the neuron cell body and axon) and senile plaques (consisting partly of beta-amyloid protein fragments), which could interfere with the functioning of normal neurons. Tangles and plaques occur with normal aging, but with disease the build-up is more extensive. In addition to the build-up of tangles and plaques, the dendrites of a neuron can atrophy, which results in fewer connections with other neurons.

Question 18

describe the scaffolding theory of aging (STAC)

Answer 18

STAC model accounts for the possibility of both deficient and preserved performance on cognitive tasks. acknowledges that the aging brain must adapt to neural challenges including atrophy. to cope with such challenges, the brain builds alternative neural circuitry, or scaffolds which represent compensatory strategies designed to offset age-related decline in functioning, may not be as efficient as the more focused circuitry of young adult brains.

the scaffolding process does not begin in old age; rather, it occurs throughout the life span when the brain is confronted with cognitive challenges. according to the STAC model, the brain’s effectiveness at building scaffolds is assisted by experience, or nurture, which includes factors such as maintaining cardiovascular health and engaging in mentally challenging activities.

Question 19

differentiate between ADL and IADL

Answer 19

activities of daily living (ADL): basic self-maintenance tasks, including eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, transferring into and out of a bed/chair, and getting around the house

instrumental activities of daily living (IADL): refers to more complex activities, including preparing meals, shopping, managing money, doing housework, using the telephone, taking medications, etc.

Question 20

how can the SOC model be applied to biological aging and health?

Answer 20

an effective strategy for maintaining optimal functioning is to focus on aspects of living that are most important.

If functioning declines in some areas, older adults can compensate by putting more effort into areas that can be maintained or improved. The trick is to capitalize on one’s physical strengths, taking whatever actions are necessary to control lifestyle habits of diet, exercise, and exposure to stress. The earlier in life this is done, the better the chances of deriving long-term benefits.

The SOC Model can be applied to brain functioning as well, given the evidence of compensation that seems to occur in the face of age-related neurological changes.

Question 21

how can the ecological model be applied to biological aging and health?

Answer 21

decline in biological reserve capacity means that more attention must be paid to the environmental conditions in which older adults live, and a proper match between biological competence and environmental press becomes more important with increasing age.

Conditions that are too challenging may accelerate the biological aging process and cause difficulties in adaptation. On the other hand, conditions with too few demands may not be sufficiently challenging and could result in poor adaptation.

An environment with the appropriate level of challenge for the individual older adult is most likely to allow him or her to achieve the highest possible level of adaptation.