Aging and Health Quiz

Geriatrics Overview

• Geriatrics focuses on preventing disease and promoting health in older adults.

Objectives

• Students will learn about aging, gerontology, geriatrics, lifespan, life expectancy, and senescence.
• They will understand categories of elderly ageism.
• Topics include implications of an aging population for rehabilitation, demography in the elderly, mortality in the elderly, and morbidity in the elderly.

Aging

• Aging is a process of growing old and encompasses wide physiological changes in the body.
• Aging is complex and varies among and within individuals.
• Key characteristics include a decline in homeostatic efficiency and an increased probability of unsuccessful reactions to injury.

Gerontology

• Gerontology is the scientific study of the factors that impact the normal aging process and its effects.

Geriatrics

• Geriatrics is a medical specialty focusing on diseases and care of old age.

Lifespan

• Lifespan is the maximum survival potential of species; in humans, it's estimated to be 110-120 years.

Life Expectancy

• Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live, from birth.
• In the U.S., it's approximately 75.8 years, with women living 6.6 years longer than men.

Senescence

• Senescence is the final stage of adulthood, leading to death.
• Categories of elderly include young (65-74), old (75-84), and old-old/frail (over 85).

Ageism

• Ageism is discrimination and prejudice leveled against individuals based on age.

Causes of Death (Elderly)

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) accounts for about 31% of deaths.
• Cancer accounts for about 20% of deaths.
• Cerebrovascular disease (stroke) is a leading cause.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia/flu also have high mortality rates among elderly .

Causes of Disability / Chronic Conditions (Elderly)

• Arthritis (49%), Hypertension (37%), Hearing impairments (32%), Heart impairments (30%), Cataracts and chronic sinusitis (17% each), Orthopedic impairments (16%), Diabetes and visual impairments (9% each).

Aging Theories (Biological)

• Genetic Theory: Genes play a role in determining lifespan.
• Free Radical Theory (Oxidative Stress): Reactive oxygen species (free radicals) damage cells, contributing to aging processes.
• Hormonal Theory: Hormonal changes contribute to functional decrements and aging process.
• Immunity Theory: Decline in immune responses due to reduced thymus size and bone marrow function.
• Environmental Theories: Accumulation of environmental toxins and insults contribute to the aging process.

Apoptosis

• Apoptosis is programmed cell death, distinguishing from cell death due to injury (necrosis).
• Apoptosis plays a crucial role in maintaining body health by eliminating old, unnecessary, or unhealthy cells.

Cellular Changes (Aging Process)

• Old cells can be two to three times larger than young cells.
• Increase in pigments and fatty substances (lipids) inside the cell.
• Fragmentation (breakdown) of Golgi apparatus and mitochondria is part of aging.
• Capacity of cells to divide and reproduce decreases during aging.
• DNA synthesis and cell division are arrested with aging.

Tissue Changes (Aging Process)

• Accumulation of pigmented materials.
• Accumulation of lipids and fats.
• Changes in connective tissues, including decreased elastic content and collagen degradation. The presence of pseudoelastins affect the elasticity of organs, blood vessels, and airways.
• Lysosomal activity's breakdown leads to cellular pigmentation(lipofucin) affecting cellular structure.

Organ Changes (Aging Process)

• Decrease in the functional capacity of organs.
• Decrease in the organs' homeostatic efficiency.

Neurological and Cognitive Changes

• Atrophy of nerve cells in cerebral cortex reduces brain weight (by up to 20%).
• Changes in brain morphology, including narrowing of gyri (folds) and widening of sulci (grooves).
• Ventricular dilation due to neuronal loss.
• Generalized cell loss in cerebral cortex (frontal and temporal lobes), presence of lipofuscin associated with diseases, and loss in basal ganglia, cerebellum, and hippocampus.
• Increases in stress hormones and damage to the memory center.
• Decreased cerebral blood flow and metabolism( diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis) and alteration in synaptic transmission.
• Losses in the spinal cord and peripheral nerves.
• Age-related tremors.

Memory Decline

• Decline in short-term memory; long-term memory is comparatively retained.
• Task dependence of memory impairment

Aging Effects on Movement

• Increased reaction times and movement errors.
• Reliance on visual feedback for movement and cautionary behaviors.
• Preparation for complex movements.
• Decreased speed, coordination, and accuracy of movements.

Learning in Older Adults

• Older adults can learn, but learning can be affected by increased caution, anxiety, learning pace, and interference from prior learning.

Sensory System Changes

• Vision decline, including Presbyopia, difficulty adapting to darkness and light, increased glare sensitivity, loss of color discrimination, decreased pupil response, and decreased corneal sensitivity.
• Common conditions impacting vision include cataracts glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
• Hearing loss occurs, usually starting early and accelerating, impacting sound sensitivity and speech understanding, as well as maintaining equilibrium.

Taste and Smell Changes

• Gradual decrease in taste sensitivity and smell sensitivity.
• Additional loss of taste and smell can be due to smoking, chronic allergies/infections, dentures, or CVA.

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary System Changes

• Heart muscle changes (including accumulation of lipofuscin and cardiac hypertrophy).
• Changes in cardiac valves, in the conduction system, and in blood vessels, causing loss of pacemaker cells, artery thickening, reduced distensibility, and decreased peripheral resistance.
• Heart rate decreases with age, affecting maximal heart rate.
• Changes in cardiac output, and fatigue increase with age. Reduced response of chemoreceptors, decreased lung compliance, stiffness/less distensibility of the pulmonary blood vessels, decrease in lung capacity and airflow are other notable changes.

Osteoporosis

• Definition: A progressive skeletal disorder characterized by a reduction in bone mass, a failure of bone formation to keep pace with bone reabsorption and increase destruction.
• Etiological factors include hormonal deficiency, nutritional deficiencies (lack of calcium), decreased physical activity, and certain diseases.
• Examination includes medical record review, history, physical exam, nutritional history, bone density tests, and X-rays.
• Interventions for osteoporosis include medications (e.g., Evista, Fosamax, Calcitonin), hormone replacement therapy, calcium and vitamin D intake, exercise, and safety education/fall prevention.

Test your knowledge about health statistics related to aging, specifically focusing on causes of death in individuals over 65 and muscle strength changes. This quiz explores various health conditions' impact and strategies for maintaining physical health as we age.