Understanding Aging: Biomedical and Social Aspects

Lecture 1: Understanding Aging

• The primary aim is for students to grasp the biomedical and social aspects of aging, focusing on their implications at both individual and societal levels, specifically in Canada and Ontario.
• Reflexivity involves self-reflection and critically examining one's emotions, biases, and assumptions
• Reflexivity is essential for understanding how personal perspectives influence the interpretation of aging and related subjects.
• Gerontology is the study of aging, old age, and later life as a social and biological process
• Geriatrics is a medical specialty focused on the healthcare of older adults
• Gerontology addresses normal aging processes and variations, while geriatrics concentrates on treating age-related diseases.
• The life course perspective views aging as a condition rooted in processes unfolding over time, with individual experiences and social contexts shaping old age conditions
• This perspective aids in understanding inequities in later life and the constant evolution of this stage.

Lifespan vs. Healthspan

• Lifespan is the fixed maximum time a species can live
• Healthspan is the period of life where an individual remains healthy and free from serious disease
• Healthspan is considered more useful as it emphasizes quality of life and active years over mere longevity.
• Aging is understood as both a personal (biological and individual changes in the body) and social process (shaped by cultural, societal, and economic factors), as well as functional and physiological.
• Bryan Johnson's approach illustrates intensely monitoring lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and sleep to reverse or slow biological aging processes, reflecting a growing interest in managing aging via lifestyle interventions, though not accessible to most.
• Sociology, psychology, and human biology/medicine, in addition to political economy, health geography & environmental health, medical anthropology, history, and philosophy contribute to gerontology.
• Ageist language includes "seniors," "elderly," and "the aged", which perpetuate stereotypes; preferred alternatives include "older adults" or specific descriptions relevant to context.
• Discussed readings cover future work's impact on work habits and healthspan, Bryan Johnson's pursuit of reversing bodily damage

Key Terms

• Aging: A complex biological, social, and personal process with changes over time affecting physical health and social status.
• Ageism: Discrimination and stereotyping against individuals or groups based on age, especially toward older adults.
• Chronological Age: Age based on the number of years since birth.
• Biological Aging: Changes in the physical body, such as decreases in functional capacity or increased disease risks.
• Geriatrics: A medical specialty on the healthcare of older adults.
• Gerontology: An interdisciplinary study of aging, old age, and later life across biological, psychological, and social dimensions.
• Healthspan: The period of life where one is healthy, often without serious disease or disability.
• Interdisciplinary: An approach that unites perspectives from multiple disciplines to solve complex or boundary-transcending problems.
• Lifespan: The maximum length of time a species can live.
• Life Course Perspective: An approach that emphasizes long-term processes influencing aging and old age conditions.
• Reflexivity: Critically examining biases, assumptions, and values to understand their influence on actions and understanding.
• Aging includes biological development and puberty with related physical/mental/emotional changes.
• Aging characteristics involve increased reliance on others, physical/mental decay, wisdom, maturity, and a life satisfaction paradox People tend to focus on family and close friends over broad social groups later in life.
• Factors like tanning bed use, ethnicity, and race also influence aging's effects.

Lecture 2: Population Aging

• Chronological age is time passed since birth
• Biological age reflects body's functional and physiological state, differing from chronological age.
• The Age/Period/Cohort Triad helps differentiate if an observed phenomenon results from age effects (biological changes), period effects (historical events), or cohort effects (shared birth group experiences), aiding in identifying causes of aging variations.
• Life expectancy is average years a person is expected to live from a specific age
• Lifespan is maximum possible years
• Life expectancy is a statistic influenced by mortality rates.
• Demographic forces such as declining fertility rates, improvements in healthcare leading to increased life expectancy, and changes in infant mortality fuel population aging.
• Fertility rates in Canada have dramatically reduced from 5.72 in 1860 to 1.26 in 2023, contributing to a relative increase in older adults.
• Infant mortality rate in Canada has significantly decreased from 187 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1900 to about 5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020, increasing lifespan.
• "Silver tsunami" signifies rapid growth among older adults in Canada, particularly those over 75. This surge may strain healthcare, caregiving resources, and economic structures.

Interrelationship

• Declining fertility rates, often due to socioeconomic development and family planning access, lower the proportion of younger people, increasing the share of older adults and creating an imbalance.
• Increased life expectancy, resulting from healthcare and sanitation advancements expands the number of older people, leading to more individuals living into advanced age, and shifting focus towards managing chronic illnesses.
• Population aging defines a demographic trend where the median age increases, and declining fertility rates reduce younger generations while increasing life expectancy extends the presence of older cohorts, straining the dependency ratio.
• Declining fertility rates lead to a more rectangular or inverted population pyramid, which has slower or negative population growth.
• Increased life expectancy lengthens the post-retirement phase and healthcare strain. Combined effects slow economic growth with fewer workers and increased elder care costs and policy challenges require reforms in pension, health funding, and labor market.
• Age effects are changes from biological, psychological, and social processes linked to chronological aging
• Age-related dementia increases highlight the impact of biological aging
• Period effects are influences from historical and environmental conditions during a specific period where societal events uniquely affect aging individuals and public policies
• The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected mental health and healthcare access for older adults.
• Cohort effects are differences in experiences among groups born in the same period, which shapes aging experiences.

Demographic Shifts in Canada

• Past (1900s)'s population consisted of high births, deaths and a young population (pyramid shape)
• Mid (1950s-70s) centuries consisted of broadening at younger age groups due to post-war (shape), increased population growth (baby bloom)
• Present (2020s) population’s include a rectangular pyramid where declining mortality rates and long life expectancy exists (The baby boomer have reached their senior years)
• Future (2050) will consist of sustained low fertility rates and increased longevity = shrinking work force ( Narrower base than top)
• Workforce Shrinkage; Changes in Family Dynamics and Cultural Shifts challenges for old population.
• The economic impacts are; Increased Pension and Retirement cost; Slowed economic growth and workforce shortages
• Lack for services; Rising healthcare costs and workforce training are healthcare impacts on the aging population
• Immigration needs to be promoted and workforce participation needs to be encouraged to invest in healthcare
• "Silver Tsunami" on Canadian Systems needs to be accessed.
• There is an increased demand for services and rising health care cost in Canada

Interrelationship Between Declining Fertility Rates

• Increase in public spending
• Shift in consumer markets and workforce spending
• Encourage older worker to balance population
• Key Terms: Normal(aging/intrinsic); Extrinsic/ Exogenous- Influenced by the way you live (diet and lifestyle)
• Biological = functional/physiological state; Age-Inclusive/ not reinforcing or discriminating age and Correlation is statistically related while caution is directly caused

Further Terms

• Age/Period/Cohort Triad: A framework to analyze variations due to age, historical period, or cohort.
• Life Expectancy: Average years one is expected to live from a specific age.
• Fertility Rate: The average number of children a woman has.
• Mortality Rate: Deaths in a given population.
• Infant Mortality Rate: Deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 births.
• Silver Tsunami: Rapid growth in older adults, especially those over 75.
• Cross-sectional/ Longitudinal Study: Study examining same data/ multiple for the given point of time
• There needs to Correlation vs causation
• The population percentage tends to be older than younger/ increase in life expectancy (the population in aging)
• With better technology and medicine north american is lagging behind in population aging as where north and south America have higher rates
• An older median isn't created living longer by declining fertility rates and lower birth
• The average of born children to a woman in lifetime can influence life expectancy since industrial revolution Factors include gender roles and feelings toward wanting kids/ dip while ww2/ today.
• Morbidity is non same measure as deaths in given time by high mortality and Covid and opiods cause aging population _ If we decrease fertility rates and mrotality rates the popualtion will be considered an aging population

The Hayflick limit

• This refers to the the number of times where a normal cell will divide and becomes sencent

Free Radicals

• damages DNA and proteins

Aging Immune System

• Capacity for body and body's to deal to stress (Less t lymph)
• Thinner skin leads it to be more sustepectibal
• Older adults have reduced cough/ higher pneumonia

Osteoporosis vs. Osteoarthritis

• Sarcopenia is loss of muscle/ calcium and vitiman d/ antioxidants/ stop smoking and limit high cholestrerol
• Programmed happens via body and genes
• The strengths of Hormonal changed w/o the processes
• They struggle to describe aging (dont count for external
• Damaged due to error = free radical/empiral evidence w/ mitochalndiral disctiom.
• Antioxodiatiant slow
• Theories dont address by naked mole rase/ oxidative stress

Aging and Revolution

• Aging occurs from trade off w/ no eliminatations and can have better or poor traits
• Hard testing environents
• Focus on decline of immune system/ regulator
• Early traits that enhance the body Can lead to good or bad traits (early to later life) Calicum and testorone
• Adaptive process (since selection does not trade it) can lead to early life benfits
• Non genetic
• Non- genetic factors for envireoemtnls

Specific Changes

• Change can effet overall changes to diff body system

Skin

Less collage and elasin production can cause risk to irrationations Well being of the skin increases bruisinf Vision decreases/ leads to socail islation Lung declines

Impacts from Changes

1. Impact health wellness The combindned effets will increase a cycle that one leads ot the other

2 Is aging disease Well being and coniditon should e mainting when the progession stops it then makes it deviation for baseline

3. Pro argumetns that effect cellular level or is that more of treatmen rather tha acuse

Lifestyle

• Regualr activity/ increase muscle strength increase of diet decrease age
• Good sleep w low stree (actovated by the body ) that can be solved wirth mintr fullnes
• Mainitaning well being w community activites
• Social network/ stimuluation, combine social that enahcnes he brain

Key Terms for Aging

• Harmful affect/ APO/ basal
• Distructive restiricon/ cataract/ clolgen/relation
• All affect glycs/ limit number = hatflick Heart disease- function (hypertension)

Immigration Terms

• Immigration increase rate
• Product accumulate during a period
• Genes affect/ macular and dependecny
• Osto/reserve Degrertios and strokes
• Syndrome accumatulates
• Pathlogy based of provides
• There is diruption

Symptoms and well bneigm can be afffected and should be addit

Key terms for Health

• "Aging is not just passages but also vulnerability during the process"
• 120/80 blood pressure
• Avoid chronic and headahces
• Preventable by strokes
• Brain and spinal central and peripherl nervous= brnach out

Aging Effects

• New communitcarons by neurons and dopamine impacts cognitive functions and mood and hippocampus critis

• Damage (and that how do yyou differencate?) Temp and conscien short term//long term reatins and meanins

• Can have non/eposictid meaning and includes function with execture brain

• Hostility to older

• Lack to change with cortext with empo

• Can lead to confustion from dementia with aggresision

• Help by patince Triggering, roitine adn evalu

Activiateis of day- eat, bath, walk

The nun studies affect the brain:

• Population, data co, life and find
• The abnility to change via cognive/ genetic and emotinal
• In addiiton in the imporanc

More Key Terms

• Reognize and allow dapt and recover - pro-makes brain cons- bad

• Parodox of Aging

Brain

• Recongize to function and albit

• New learning and stoke/ aging declines by life.

• Decreses by cognitin and dirstoer

• 5 wqys to supoort -lifelong

• Impair cognitiv by strokes/ what is to apply to aging?

• Automic nersouness part of perpheila and cogntion is info

All are related There is structualy Term workinf memeoy Structual change to expern

Memory has stages and stroke is just direct blood issue Functions with hostile/aggre

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Explore the biomedical and social aspects of aging and their implications for individuals and society. Learn about reflexivity and its importance in understanding personal perspectives on aging. Differentiate between gerontology and geriatrics, and understand the life course perspective on aging.