How to slow down aging in a natural way - everyone can do it. Aging - a natural process Aging definition

Throughout the history of human civilization, people have dreamed of immortality and eternal youth. In every religion, there are otherworldly intelligent beings that are immortal and not subject to aging. And only people, because of imperfection, become decrepit and die. The best minds of mankind were looking for the true causes of aging and cures for it. However, thousands of years of searching have not brought results. Maybe modern science has come a little closer to the answer, what plays a major role in the process of human aging?

Causes of aging from the point of view of modern science

popular theories of human aging in terms of various scientific discoveries.

Those in power at all times encouraged the work of those scientists who took up the fight against aging, because any ruler whose life is waning will not regret anything for the opportunity to enjoy power and wealth indefinitely. Therefore, the knowledge base on this issue has been accumulated quite large. So what have we learned so far about aging? Theories of aging have been developed to explain why a person becomes decrepit over time and they are divided into groups:

Molecular genetic group

1. Telomeric;
2. Elevation;
3. Adoption-regulatory;
4. Cross stitching.

Scholastic (probability) group:

1. Effects of free radicals;
2. Radiation;
3. apoptosis;
4. Redusomnaya (author Olovnikov);
5. Somatic mutations;
6. neurogenic;
7. Programmed aging;
8. Medawar and Zaher.

Molecular Genetic Telomere Theory

This is one of the most popular theories of aging (material from Wikipedia), and it was put forward by the US geranthologist L. Hayflick back in 1961. He was able to experimentally prove that the cells of the human body have a limited ability to divide (in particular, fibroblasts are able to do this no more than 50-60 times).

An example of the movement of molecules.

However, the scientist could not find an explanation for this phenomenon. Its causes were identified ten years later by the biochemist A.N. Olovnikov, who discovered specific sections at the ends of each DNA - telomeres, shortening after each division of the chromosome. When the limit of divisions is exhausted, the cell undergoes certain degenerative changes, gradually leading to its death.

neurogenic theory

The founder of this theory was the famous academician Pavlov IP. Adherents of the neurogenic theory consider functional disorders of the central nervous system to be the main cause of aging in the human body.

Gerontologists from France, who adhere to the same point of view, see the root cause of the problem in a decrease in the cognitive capabilities of the human brain.
Representatives of the scientific world of the United States associate the gradual change in the work of the human body with the accumulation of slag in the spaces between brain cells.

Influence of free radicals

The essence of the theory lies in the negative impact on a person of chemical particles, in the outer orbits of which unpaired electrons are located, due to which they very actively react with surrounding molecules.

The theory of the negative effects of free radicals.

In the body, radicals can be formed:

• as a common intermediate during normal metabolism;
• under the influence of a powerful source of ionizing radiation (radiation).

Confirmation of this theory of aging was also obtained during an experiment with human cells - fibroblasts.

Thus, the involvement of free radicals in the aging process has been proven. Experiments on the binding of free radicals, carried out in order to confirm or refute this theory, have yielded interesting results.

Drosophila flies and mice fed large doses of vitamin E, which can deactivate free radicals, lived significantly longer than the animals from the control group.

Mechanics of aging

The theoretical justification for the changes that occur in the human body with age is understandable, but what are the mechanisms of aging? They are divided into two main groups:

1. physiological mechanisms;
2. immunological mechanisms.

Both groups are the result of the gradual deterioration of the human body, but manifest themselves at different levels of organization.

Physiological mechanisms

Age does not spare any tissue of the human body, including the nervous one, which changes in a complex manner at all levels of its existence:

1. structural;
2. biochemical;
3. functional.

The physiological mechanisms of aging at the structural level are manifested by the loss of a large number of nerve cells in the spinal cord, cerebellum and basal ganglia. In this case, the brain suffers much less.

As for biochemical changes, they are especially noticeable in the example of the hypothalamus. The content of DOPA-decarboxylase and norepinephrine gradually decreases in it, while acetylcholinesterase and monoamine oxidase, on the contrary, increases.

Some other indicators are changing:

• the water content in the brain tissues decreases;
• the ratio of different types of lipids changes;
• free radical processes are enhanced;
• an increase in the number of DNA mutations;
• the rate of protein synthesis decreases.

The consequence of all this is the functional disorders of the body:

• inhibition of motor reactions;
• slowing down the memorization of new information;
• deep sleep phase disorder;
• change in posture;
• hypotension;
• problems with regulation of body temperature;
• urinary incontinence;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

With age, the sympathetic system becomes more active, which has a certain effect on cognitive function.

Immunological mechanisms

The relationship between the hematopoietic system and immunity is very close. Both of them protect the body from infection and the development of tumors. With age, hematopoiesis does not fall, the size of the spleen and lymph nodes does not change.

The immunological mechanisms of aging are:

• narrowing the reserve of systems;
• slowing down their response to stressful situations.

With age, zinc metabolism decreases, on which immunocompetence largely depends. You can improve its parameters by taking preparations containing salts of this metal.

Changes in the human body during aging

From a scientific point of view, aging is a physiological process that is accompanied by certain changes:

• the metabolic rate drops;
• reduced oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide emission;
• the content of water, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium ions in the cells of the body decreases;
• the concentration of chloride, sodium and calcium ions increases;
• calcium salts are deposited on the vascular walls, disrupting their normal functioning;
• the heart weakens, both minute and stroke volume decrease;
• the kidneys are sclerosed, due to which diuresis falls;
• food is absorbed worse and worse due to a decrease in the production of digestive enzymes;
• the function of reproduction weakens and drops out;
• weakens the immune system.

All these involutive changes at any level can occur in three types:

1. accelerated;
2. natural;
3. slow.

From the point of view of preserving eternal youth, it is interesting to consider the last point. In the process of delayed aging, involutive-age changes in the body slow down significantly, giving rise to the phenomenon of longevity. The best scientific minds of mankind are working on the solution to its cause.

Is it possible to not grow old at all?

Despite all the efforts of scientists and the fact that the currently known theories of aging cover a wide range of causes leading to involution and death of a person, an effective recipe for eternal youth has not been created. There are ageless people who managed to stop this process.

What should be done to delay the onset of the aging process and slow down this process? To keep youth a little longer than most people around is possible, but for this, efforts should be made from a very young age.

• eating clean food without chemical additives of any kind;
• plentiful drink;
• moderate regular physical activity;
• eating a large amount of fish or fish oil containing a natural antioxidant - vitamin E;
• a balanced diet with plenty of raw vegetables and fruits;
• strict mode of sleep and wakefulness;
• calm friendly relations with everyone around;
• timely treatment of any diseases;
• regular full medical examinations;
• regular correction of immunity;
• after the onset of menopause - correction of the hormonal background.

Just as the seasons change in nature, so in life a person passes through different age boundaries: a healthy, carefree youth prepares a spiritually generous, active maturity, which over the years gives way to a reasonable, unhurried, noble old age.

Every year there are more and more elderly people on Earth. Man began to live longer. Suffice it to say that the primitive ancestors, as scientists believe, lived only up to 19-20 years. During the Roman Empire, the average life expectancy did not exceed 25 years; during the period of the feudal system - 35 years; she is currently 72 years old.

However, scientists believe that a person can live 100 or even 150 years. According to I.P. Pavlov, human life expectancy should be at least 100 years. “We ourselves, by our incontinence,” he wrote, “by our disorderliness, by our ugly treatment of our own organism, reduce this normal period to a much smaller figure.”

Aging is a natural process. Old age is inevitable. Why, then, is so much attention paid to the problems of the elderly in medicine?

But because a person is not indifferent to whether he becomes a victim of premature old age or whether he lives 100 years, retaining the ability to be active and useful to society, never knowing until his death what decrepitude and helplessness are.

What gives any of us energy, emotional charge, creative and life stimulus? The opportunity to work, to feel involved in a common cause, to be a member of a team.

More and more one has to be convinced that changes in the social status of an elderly person, difficulties in adapting him to environmental conditions are of great importance in the development of certain mental disorders in him. With old age, possible isolation from others is closely related. An old person loses old friends and does not make new ones, his contacts with the outside world are broken. As a result, he may develop a feeling of inferiority, a feeling of loneliness.

The reader probably noticed that, speaking of people of late age, we give different definitions: “advanced years”, “old age”, “venerable age”, “old age”, “old man”. Perhaps some clarification should be made regarding these terms. In gerontology (the science that deals with the problems of aging and old age), it is customary to divide the entire period of late age into separate groups: old age (it is also called involutional or presenile) - from 50 to 65 years; senile age - from 65 and above. We believe that there is no need to adhere to a purely scientific classification, and we give the terms we use an identical meaning.

It has become common to be interested in an elderly person more in his physical condition and less in his psyche, the influence on him of the environment in which he lives and works. But the prevention of many neuropsychiatric disorders in old age largely depends on the surrounding people.

And about one more circumstance. We are accustomed to diseases and tend to think that they are a kind of norm of life, and therefore we state changes in the body in old age, which are not real, inevitable, but pathological, and consider them quite natural. And as a result, normal physiological aging is so rare that most scientists consider it an exception, an "abnormality." This is a curious case in the history of medicine, when what is normal is treated as an anomaly.

One way or another, getting a person to live to be 100 years old is not such a difficult problem. The main thing is to help him maintain a strong body and a healthy mind, constant creative activity until the age of 100. A person should strive to live to old age not in order to “creak” as long as possible and, having gone on a well-deserved rest, to observe from the outside how life is seething, but in order to fully work, without any discounts for age.

Although aging is a natural process and it is impossible to stop it, it is quite feasible to avoid the diseases that accompany old age, maintain and strengthen mental health. This is what we want to talk about.

How to slow down aging? Why do some people manage to look 40 at 20, while others at 60 look 20 years younger. Some biological processes occurring in the body accelerate the aging process. It is possible to slow down aging naturally.

The US National Institute on Aging (NIA) summed up the results of research in recent years. Here is a brief overview of this article. Scientists have developed several strategies to slow down aging, it is up to each human individual whether to apply the advice or not.

How to slow down aging - eight behavioral strategies

Two complex processes that accelerate aging are excessive cell oxidation. The acceleration of aging is associated with excessive consumption of sugar, constant stress and environmental pollution. Ongoing research by the US National Institute on Aging is helping to develop guidelines for slowing down aging naturally.

It has been scientifically proven that at the genetic level they slow down the aging process. Other natural methods, such as antioxidant foods, sensible calorie restriction, natural hormone supplements, take a different approach.

Approximately 20% of the rate of biological aging is determined by the genetic code. The remaining 80% depend on the environmental situation and lifestyle. By controlling the last two factors and taking a few simple but effective measures, it is possible to slow down the rate of biological aging.

How to slow down aging with diet

Want to slow down the aging process? Review the diet, monitor the quantity and quality of food. Certain foods and supplements help you look and feel younger. These are antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins and phytonutrients.

"Sea" type of nutrition stops the destructive processes in the body. Omega-3 PUFAs help slow or even stop the mental decline associated with aging. If you were not born on the Mediterranean coast, then learn the principles of the diet of centenarians

Antioxidants protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals. The discovery of antioxidants raised hopes that people could slow down aging simply by adding them to their diet. The most famous antioxidants:

• Glutathione (produced by the body itself)
• Vitamins C, A, E
• Coenzyme Q10
• Lycopene, Quercetin, Astaxanthin, Lutein
• Melatonin
• Lipoic acid
• carotenoids, etc.

The body's ability to produce antioxidants decreases with age. The aging process cannot be stopped. Let's age nicely. Antioxidant complexes should also be present in food.

Resveratol or the French Paradox

Resveratrol, a natural antioxidant, bioflavonoid found in grapes, blueberries, nuts, cocoa beans. Plants produce resveratol to protect against disease and infection. Extensive experiments to identify the beneficial properties of resveratol were carried out on mice.

Mice fed resveratrol were healthier and lived longer than mice on a normal diet. In subsequent experiments, the researchers found that with aging, resveratrol slowed age-related changes.

A recent human study found that resveratrol has similar health benefits. However, it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about how resveratrol affects human health and aging.

To date, it has been proven that resveratol improves vascular elasticity, lowers cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of blood clots. Together, this leads to improved blood circulation and prevents atherosclerosis.

Eat less but better

The quality and quantity of food affects the years of life. The question is how? Of interest is a diet that is lower by a certain percentage in calories, but contains all the nutrients. Experiments show that 30% calorie restriction has a positive effect on markers of aging.

It has been established that reducing nutrition prolongs the life of the simplest organisms, but complex organisms, including mammals, show conflicting results. This type of restriction can be checked for yourself. Researchers have not yet come to final conclusions.

Limiting calorie intake by 20-30% for overweight people will help lower insulin levels and regulate blood pressure. The risk of major causes of death, such as heart disease and diabetes, is reduced.

The older you get, the more important strength training is

Muscle mass reaches its peak around the age of 20 and then begins to decline gradually. The loss of muscle mass associated with age leads to a decrease in endurance, strength, elasticity, bone strength and a decrease in mental abilities. In turn, muscle tissue begins to be replaced by fatty tissue and an inevitable increase in body weight occurs.

Strength training and resistance training is one of the most powerful anti-aging strategies. The loss of muscle mass is only 1-3% per year. However, after 20 years, body composition can change significantly if nothing is done. The process of losing muscle mass is called sarcopenia.

Research in this area has shown that training programs can stop age-related muscle loss. Constant training leads to an increase in muscle mass, even in people aged about 70 years and above.

The most effective are exercises that bring to work all muscle groups. These are squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, bench press. There is no age to say that I am too old to start training. This is the “fountain of youth” accessible to all.

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise is an affordable form of physical activity. Oxygen is used as the main form of energy for muscle work. Walking, running, swimming, dancing, biking, treadmill, exercise bikes are examples of aerobic exercise.

Aerobic exercise supports the cardiovascular system, strengthens bone tissue, helps normalize blood pressure, and helps reduce stress. In general, aerobic exercise improves endurance. A competent combination of aerobic and anaerobic (strength) exercises forms a beautiful strong body.

One of the leading theories in the field of aging is the theory of mitochondrial decay. We are thought to be aging, in part because the mitochondria in our cells do not produce energy efficiently as we did when we were young. Aerobic exercise stimulates mitochondria. Endurance training increases mitochondrial function.

Hormones, without them nowhere

Without hormones, we cannot survive. During childhood, hormones help grow. In adolescence lead to puberty. As time goes by, levels of certain hormones naturally decrease, such as testosterone in men and estrogen in women.

Hormones are involved in regulating metabolism, immune function, sexual reproduction, and growth. Glands such as the pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, and testes release hormones needed to stimulate, regulate, and control tissue and organ function. Most hormones are usually found in low concentrations in the bloodstream. NIA research focuses on hormones that naturally decline with age, including:

• human growth hormone
• Testosterone
• Estrogen and progesterone (as part of menopausal hormone therapy)
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

Some time ago it was believed that hormone treatment is a "fountain of youth" to feel young and prevent aging. The NIA assures that to date, no study has shown that hormone therapy increases life expectancy. Patients who are diagnosed with a hormone deficiency should only take hormones by prescription and under medical supervision.

Buy a good mattress and have sex

Lack of sleep lowers mental ability and testosterone levels in men. Poor sleep quality accelerates the signs of aging and weakens the skin's ability to repair itself at night. A person needs 6 to 8 hours of quality sleep. Deep, restful, uninterrupted sleep makes you feel rested and rejuvenated.

"The key ingredients for looking younger are staying active... and maintaining a good sex life." - Dr. Weeks

A study has shown that regular sex with a good partner, up to three times a week, reduces biological age by 4-7 years. Experimenters are not entirely sure how or why regular sex has such a powerful rejuvenating effect.

Perhaps sex increases intimacy with your partner and a sense of connection. Maybe sex releases certain hormones that are known to decrease as we age. Maybe energetic sex is a form of physical activity?

Being biologically young isn't easy, but it's worth it. The benefits of being young are too great to ignore. Following these principles, even in old age, you will be smart, strong, energetic and remain biologically younger than your peers.

Changing perspectives on aging

Illness and disability were once considered an integral part of aging, but this is no longer the case. Aging is an inevitable process, but older people can be healthy and active at their age. Observance of simple (at first glance) rules will help slow down aging:

• Healthy diet
• Antioxidants, vitamins and phytonutrients
• Resveratol
• Reasonable calorie restriction (mainly due to sugar and fast carbohydrates)
• Strength and aerobic training
• Support for hormonal status
• quality sleep
• Happy love

For inspiration and the beginning of a new life, an excerpt from their film Highlander and the famous song Who Wants to Live Forever performed by Queen.

"Live fast, die young" ... This expression, which has become the unspoken slogan of the rocker subculture, is known to everyone. Only a few would like to accept it and translate it into their own lives. Now, if it were possible to live up to a hundred years and at the same time retain youth, then all this would make some sense ...

Nobody wants to get old. Over the years, having realized the irreversibility of the changes taking place in the body and having experienced a midlife crisis, people come to terms with the fact that they are undergoing aging of the body. They understand this, they accept it, but there is absolutely no one in the world who would dream of retiring as soon as possible, acquiring a cane, gray hair and dentures. People dream of staying young. That is why Dorian Gray, Dracula, Duncan MacLeod and other timeless characters of classics and contemporaries seem so perfect and attractive to us.

Or maybe we have at least a tiny chance to slow down the aging process? Yes it is possible. Several articles in this block will be devoted to ways to prolong youth. But first, let's figure it out: what is it all about - aging of the body?

Theory and mechanisms of aging:

Approximately half a century ago, the study of aging in science was so fashionable that there were at least several hundred hypotheses, in one form or another, offering a description of the causes of this process. To be honest, this phenomenon has not yet been definitively explained. However, there is a leading theory that most closely matches the known facts about aging.

External causes of aging:

It's called the random cell damage theory. Its essence lies in the fact that throughout life in the human body accumulates a "load" of various damages and negative effects that affect it.

It is known that with age, the function of organs gradually fades away, worsens. However, all this is a consequence, a manifestation of aging. And only one organ, losing its efficiency, initiates this process.

thymus. It consists entirely of lymphoid tissue, which secretes special hormones. Groups of leukocytes that play a key role in maintaining immunity undergo maturation and “learning” processes in it. However, at the age of 25-30, this organ is almost completely replaced by adipose tissue and ceases to work on improving the immune function. Immune cells switch to an autonomous mode of existence. It is from this age that the foundations for age-related changes are laid in the human body, diseases begin to appear more actively, and the state of health weakens. This allows us to conclude that a healthy immune system is vital for maintaining youth.

For a long time there was no reason to believe that something could take over the tasks of the thymus. However, several decades ago, scientists discovered Transfer Factor. When studying it, first on laboratory animals, and then on volunteers, it turned out that it significantly slows down the aging process and even contributes to the rejuvenation of the body. Professor Chizhov created a special program that provides for taking this drug according to a certain scheme.

Chapter 34

AGING AND OLD AGE

R. Tsang

34.1. The main features of the biological aging process

Aging and life expectancy

Definition of the concept of "biological old age".

The term "old age", when used to refer to a later stage of life, indicates a state in which there is a decrease in the mental and physical adaptation of the organism, characteristic of old age. In this strict sense, it only applies to humans, higher primates, and other social mammals. Aging begins around middle age, along with a decrease in reproductive capacity, and continues until the death of the organism.

Lifespan. Throughout human history, there have been old people; in fact, some people have always lived to the most advanced age currently attainable. However, with increasing life expectancy, the proportion of older people in the population is constantly increasing. In 1980 average life expectancy was 913 months (76.1 years) for women and 832 months (69.5 years) for men. On fig. 34.1 shows the so-called sex and age pyramid of the population of permanent residents of Germany. The deviation from the characteristic triangular shape is the result of wars and crises (as noted in the figure), as well as the recent formation of a subpopulation of immigrant workers with a specific sex and age composition.

A study of the fossil remains of Stone Age humans shows that the average life expectancy at that time was 20 years. In the Middle Ages, it increased to 30 years, in 1880 to 36 years, around 1900 it was still only 46 years, but since that time it has been constantly growing, except for the periods of wars and the post-war years.

Differences in life expectancy between the two sexes used to be explained mainly by higher professional workloads for men. There is also now recognition of a role for unequal attitudes towards smoking. The fact that men smoke more increases their risk of premature death from diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This hypothesis is supported by the same duration

Rice. 34.1.Sex and age pyramid in the population of permanent residents of Germany on December 31, 1979. A Losses in the First World War. B. Losses in World War II. IN. The decline in the birth rate during the First World War. G. D. Decreased birth rate at the end of World War II. E. more men than women. AND. More women than men 3. The decline in the birth rate during the First World War. AND. Decline in the birth rate during the depression period (circa 1932). TO. Fertility decline at the end of World War II

the lives of men and women among members of religious sects that reject smoking.

The maximum duration of human life, component about 115 years, very rarely achieved. The earlier death of most people is due to various endogenous and exogenous factors, including heredity, accidents And diseases. People whose parents lived to a very old age are more likely to live long.

aging process

While old age is a state of late life, biological aging process begins at birth and continues irreversibly throughout life. First of all, growing up is accompanied by an increase in overall physical and mental performance. After reaching a certain level of it, new loads can be transferred only at the expense of rejecting others. Over time, overall performance begins to decline, and this process continues until death.

Aging has usually been viewed as the gradual replacement of normal physiological functions by pathological processes. But with the development of modern gerontology, it is becoming clearer that we are talking more about multifactorial biological process, which is modified to varying degrees by pathological factors.

Theories of aging. There is no consensus on the mechanisms involved in the aging process, and there are many theories. In most cases, they can be divided into:

– non-genetic (epigenetic), according to which the cause of aging is structural changes in cells and tissues, and

– genetic linking aging with changes in the transmission and expression of genetic information.

Theories belonging to one group or the other often come by different logical paths to very similar conclusions.

Earlier, non-genetic concepts see the cause of aging in wear individual parts of the body, accumulation in it toxins, as well as in change in the degree of hydration And solvation of macromolecules, which reduces the mechanical strength of tissues and disrupts various cellular functions. Later, attention was paid to genetic factors It turned out that cellular systems of transmission and expression of hereditary information contained in DNA are always involved in the aging process. However, it is still unclear whether the DNA changes themselves

cause aging or is it just a side effect of it.

Changes in nucleotides and proteins as a cause of aging. According to the theory proposed by Szilard, aging is the result of radiation damage to chromosomes: accumulating, they eventually cause death. This theory in its various modifications has caused reasonable objections. Radiation is only one of the factors that damage the hereditary apparatus of the cell; many other influences (including smoking), in most cases much weaker in terms of energy, are also capable of disrupting the work of genetic mechanisms throughout a person's life.

This is taken into account by Orgel's proposed error accumulation theory linking together the genetic and non-genetic causes of aging. According to this concept, various kinds of damaging effects change ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules, which leads to synthesis of "wrong" proteins. If the latter themselves serve as a link in a programmed chain of biosynthesis (for example, in the case of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase), the original error propagates. Altered proteins induce the synthesis of other "wrong" ribonucleic acids. Theoretically, when the critical level of errors is exceeded, the process develops like an avalanche. However, experiments have shown that such a situation is prevented by the mechanisms of "self-inhibition", so the theory required revision. In its new version, it involves the establishment of some equilibrium level of synthesis of "wrong" macromolecules.

The protein modifications that accompany the aging process were subsequently studied in more detail and it was found that with age the specific activity of certain enzymes is significantly reduced as a result of changes in their structure. In old age, in order to achieve the necessary catalytic effect, cells must synthesize more enzyme molecules. However, the significance of this fact in relation to aging processes is limited, since some groups of enzymes do not undergo changes with age, while others even increase their specific activity. Moreover, it was not possible to isolate the modified proteins in pure form or synthesize them.

In general, we can say that aging is most likely a multifactorial cellular phenomenon, an important element of which is changes in the genetic apparatus.

Table 34.1.Leading causes of death (descending frequency of occurrence) for various age groups in ten industrialized countries of the world (WHO, 1974)

Place among reasons	0–4	5–14	15–44	45–64	65 and over
	Age group, years
	Accidents	Accidents	Accidents	Cancer	Heart diseases
	congenital disorders	Cancer	Cancer	Heart diseases	Stroke
	Cancer	congenital disorders	Heart diseases	Stroke	Cancer
	Pneumonia	Pneumonia	Suicide	Accidents	Pneumonia
	Intestinal infections	Heart diseases	Stroke	Respiratory tract infections	Chronic respiratory tract infections

34.2. Age functional changes

As a person grows older, his organs undergo certain changes, none of which are lethal. However, in old age, the likelihood of pathological development increases. As the data in Table. 34.1, the main causes of death during this period of life are heart disease, stroke and malignant tumors. The aging process itself never leads to death; it comes as a result diseases of the elderly .

Blood. Age-related changes here primarily affect the system of formation of uniform elements. In young people, the total volume of active bone marrow is 1500 ml. By presenile age (40–60 years), a significant proportion of it is replaced by fat and connective tissue, and this process continues in older people. The density of the cell population in the bone marrow of the sternum of a 70-year-old person is half that of a young person. This has a greater effect on erythropoiesis(section 18.3) than leukopoiesis(section 18.4). Accordingly, with aging, the number of red blood cells, total hemoglobin and hematocrit decrease. However, the lifetime of erythrocytes practically remains the same. Metabolic changes are indicated by a decrease in the content of ATP and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in erythrocytes.

After 40 years, the number of lymphocytes among leukocytes drops by 25%, especially of the T group (section 18.7). Decreased immunological competence in old age may be additionally due to degeneration of the thymus.

Heart. In healthy elderly people, the ratio between the masses of the heart and the whole body does not change, however, the mass of muscle fibers decreases and they are partially replaced by connective tissue. They show characteristic degenerative changes with deposition lipofuscin close to cell nuclei. With age, the endocardium thickens. The main among clinically significant morphological changes in the heart in people older than 70 years is coronary atherosclerosis. It can lead to insufficient blood supply to the myocardium.

Functional disorders of heart contractions are often caused by changes in the conduction system of the heart, partially replaced by collagen. As a result, more or less transmission of excitation is blocked. A change in the permeability of cell membranes for the ions involved in this process can lead to the formation in the conduction system of the heart ectopic foci of excitation, disturbing the heart rhythm (sections 19.2, 19.3). Such functional changes, visible on the ECG, occur in 50% of older people.

Vascular system. Arterial aging is well known, but relatively little is known about what happens to veins and lymphatics. The main sign of aging arteries is gradual decrease in elasticity. Elastic fibers and smooth muscles are increasingly being replaced by collagen. Atherosclerotic changes in the walls of blood vessels, which are considered pathologies, are explained by both genetic factors and the nature of nutrition and other lifestyle features. These changes are the basis of many diseases of the elderly, such as strokes, thrombosis and embolism.

It is often believed that the loss of elasticity in the walls of arteries is the cause of statistical increase in blood pressure with age (section 20.11). However, this is not observed in about 30% of people, so some epidemiologists consider arterial hypertension not part of the normal aging process, but rather an artifact due to the inclusion of its asymptomatic cases in the statistical analysis.

Respiratory system. Even in healthy non-smokers, the respiratory system undergoes characteristic changes with age. The size of the alveoli increases several times, some partitions between them disappear. The number of pulmonary capillaries and elastic fibers decreases.

These morphological changes limit lung function to a certain extent. Decreased elasticity of the lung parenchyma and increased rigidity of the chest lead to decrease in vital capacity And lung distensibility(Sec. 21.3). Since the tension provided by the elastic fibers is necessary for the expansion of the narrowest bronchioles, the loss of these fibers is accompanied by increase in airway resistance(Sec. 21.3). Forced expiratory volume decreases to the same extent (Sec. 21.3). Gradually increased airway resistance leads to an increase in functional residual lung capacity(Sec. 21.2). Finally, due to the reduction of the respiratory surface reduced diffusion capacity lungs (section 21.5).

Gastrointestinal tract. Beginning in middle age, violations become more frequent peristalsis esophagus due to the occurrence of abnormal contractions instead of coordinated peristaltic waves that do not push food into the stomach. After 60 years, gradual atrophy of the gastric mucosa may eventually lead to atrophic gastritis. The mass of the small intestine decreases, and the regeneration of its mucous membrane slows down. As a result reabsorption decreases some substances. The characteristic age-related changes in the large intestine include hypertrophy of the muscular plate of the mucous membrane ( muscularis mucosae ) and atrophy of the muscle layer proper ( muscularis propria ). Elderly people often suffer from constipation however, they can be prevented by eating foods rich in coarse plant fibers and being physically active. In extreme old age, the tendency to insufficiency of sphincter muscles increases.

Liver . The liver, the most important gland in the human body, also clearly changes with age. After forty years, its mass and volume of flowing

through it the blood decreases. Clearly declining activity some enzymes and their processes are disrupted induction. As a result, in old age many drugs are broken down more slowly by the liver. Given the age-related changes in pharmacokinetics, care must be taken when prescribing drugs to the elderly.

Kidneys. Gradual structural and functional changes in the kidneys with aging are based on decrease in the number of nephrons. After seventy years, only about 70% of the original number remains. Although such losses are partially offset by an increase in the size of the remaining nephrons, the total mass of the kidneys decreases, and accordingly decreases. glomerular filtration rate.

Leather. Skin changes are the most obvious sign of aging. It is here that the influence of environmental factors on genetic structures is most pronounced. On areas of the skin exposed to the sun, clones of mutant cells appear in the form of age spots. (dermatoheliosis). In addition to the occurrence of such heterogeneous pigmentation, proliferative changes are observed - wrinkling, sagging, dry skin, etc. Hair lose pigment (turn gray) and thin out. Often on the head they fall out and are replaced by a thin fluff with the formation of a bald spot.

reproductive organs. Opinions regarding sexual functions in old age are very diverse, partly because of the difficulty of collecting information. However, there is evidence that there is no biological limit to sexual interest and competence in both women and men, although sexual activity declines with age. The decisive role here, apparently, is played by individual characteristics of life and hormonal status.

In menfor not entirely clear reasons, after 55–60 years, there is often enlargement of the prostate gland (prostate adenoma). This is the result of a benign growth of the paraurethral glands, pushing the actual prostatic tissue outward. Enlarged glands compress the urethra, making it difficult to urinate.

Among womenthe main change in sexual function is the clinic, which occurs at the age of about 50 years, when the activity of the gonads stops. Its first symptom is weak and irregular menstruation;

then ovulation and the formation of the corpus luteum stop. As the concentrations of estrogen and progesterone in the blood fall, over the course of several years, the production of FSH and, to a lesser extent, LH increases significantly. Menopause is the time of the last menstrual period. Discomfort associated with menopause includes "hot flashes" (due to instability of vascular tone), sudden sweating, confusion and depressive moods. Pathological age-related changes in women include the development of tumors (myomas) of the uterus, atrophy of the vulva, vagina and urethra.

Central nervous system. Probably the most significant subjective and objective changes that occur in the human body as we age affect the functioning of our brain. In healthy older people intensity of cerebral circulation decreases very slightly and the sensitivity of the brain to CO 2 (section 23.3) is completely preserved. A significant decrease in the blood supply to the brain, statistically characteristic of people over 50 years of age, as a rule, is a consequence of atherosclerosis and can be considered a pathology. An additional danger in this case is the possibility stroke(apoplexy) as a result of cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction.

Contrary to popular belief, intellectual ability do not always decrease with age. However, individual variability is great here, one of the main factors of which is the level of cerebral blood supply. Restless sleep, reduced motor activity, difficulty concentrating, weakening emotional reactions and sensory perception, impaired endocrine functions are all associated with age. changes in neurotransmitter levels. On the electroencephalogram (section 6.2), the relative occurrence of low-frequency waves increases in older people.

DNA contentin the brain with aging, as a rule, does not change, but its damage become more numerous, possibly due to the slowdown in reparation processes. Sometimes there is hyperploidy. The rate of DNA and histone methylation and the metabolic activity of histones associated with chromatin decrease. In addition, the phosphorylation of macromolecules and, consequently, the activity of the genetic apparatus slows down. The change most clearly correlated with advanced age is an increase in the synthesis of lipofuscin.

sensory organs. Gets worse with age hearing. The ability to perceive high frequency sounds gradually decreases (senile deafness, sec. 12.2) and makes it difficult to understand speech, possibly due to the fact that the frequency characteristics of the auditory nerve change (section 12.2). Reasons for this deterioration include an increase in the stiffness of the basilar membrane, atrophy of the organ of Corti, and metabolic failure due to degeneration of the vascular streak. gradual death of neurons reduces the ability to process audio information.

Deteriorates in various ways with aging vision. As the elasticity of the lens decreases, the range of accommodation in people over 55 years of age is reduced to less than two diopters. (presbyopia, sec. 11.2). In addition, the transparency of the lens deteriorates, and in pathological conditions (cataract) he is flustered. Changes in corneal lipids can lead to the development of the senile arc (whitish clouding at its edge). Sometimes changes in the Schlemm's canal disrupt the circulation of aqueous humor in the eye. At retina more likely to experience phototoxic effects with age. In people over 75 years of age, the pigment epithelium gradually degenerates, the Bruch membrane hyalinizes, and, finally, in very old age, new vessels form. These structural changes are accompanied decreased visual acuity of distant objects, therefore, visa c (visual acuity measured with a Landolt ring) drops to about 0.6 in 80-year-olds, and to 0.3 in 85-year-olds.

Somatovisceral sensitivity worsens in the very elderly through gradual loss (up to 30% by age 90) Pacini's corpuscle And Meissner(Section 9.2).

Nutrition in old age. Regarding the nutritional needs of people over 50 years of age, the following should be considered:

– the energy needs of the body are reduced;

- increased need for protein it is necessary to receive daily 1.2–1.5 g of high-quality proteins containing essential amino acids per 1 kg of body weight;

– weight fraction carbohydrates necessary in food reduce up to 40%; mono- and disaccharides should be avoided;

- despite the fact that the absolute need for vitamins almost does not change, with a general reduction in the diet, vitamin deficiency can easily develop, which must be prevented by appropriate selection of food or their additional intake;

- necessary adequate intake of Ca 2 +(for example, through a large amount of milk and dairy products) to prevent the development of osteoporosis.

34.3. Literature

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