Even in the absence of detectable disease, the heart undergoes deleterious changes with advancing age. Thus, with increasing age, the heart becomes more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease. Subscribe Now Effect of aging of the body systems Cardiovascular systemĭiseases of the heart are the single largest cause of death after age 65.
Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Certain cellular enzymes may be less active, and thus more time may be required to carry out chemical reactions. Furthermore, the cells remaining in the elderly individual may not perform as well as those in the young. Part of this decline is due to a loss of cells from these organs, with resultant reduction in the reserve capacities of the individual. Physiologists have found that the performance of many organs such as the heart, kidneys, brain, or lungs shows a gradual decline over the life span. For example, a young adult may rapidly recover from pneumonia, whereas an elderly person may die. Since the probability of death increases rapidly with advancing age, it is clear that changes must occur in the individual which make him or her more and more vulnerable to disease. The biological-physiological aspects of aging include both the basic biological factors that underlie aging and the general health status. Application of this knowledge can reduce the severity of some disabilities commonly associated with aging. The goal of research in gerontology is to identify the factors that influence these changes. Gerontology (the study of aging) is concerned primarily with the changes that occur between the attainment of maturity and the death of the individual. In humans the physiological developments are normally accompanied by psychological and behavioral changes, and other changes, involving social and economic factors, also occur.Īging begins as soon as adulthood is reached and is as much a part of human life as are infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Human aging, physiological changes that take place in the human body leading to senescence, the decline of biological functions and of the ability to adapt to metabolic stress.
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