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Age-Related Changes in the Body, David Towell - Coggle Diagram
Age-Related Changes in the Body
Renal/Urinary
Loss of cortical renal mass
Decreased thirst perception
Renal tissue growth declines and atherosclerosis may promote atrophy of the kidney
Reduces renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate by approximately 50% by age 90
Decreased ability to concentrate urine
Increased urine osmolarity occurs as a result of water and sodium retention.
Weakening of bladder muscles and reduction of bladder capacity
Leads to an increase in urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia
Sensory Organs
Atrophy of the tongue and taste buds occurs
Decrease in the number of sensory cells in the nasal passage and fewer cells in the olfactory bulb
Reduction of sense of smell
Alterations in blood supply of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium can lead to the development of age-related macular degeneration
Macular degeneration:
Pathophysiology
Reduced blood flow to the RPE can cause atrophy and detachment. This atrophy is typically preceded by the presence of yellow deposits (drusen) that develop between the RPE and the choroid layer. The formation of drusen damages the cells of these layers of the eye and lead to a vision loss.
Symptoms
Centralized vision loss is the defining characteristic of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Other common symptoms include difficulty with vision at night, visual fluctuations, difficulty reading, and distortion of vision.
Risk Factors
Increased age (>50 years)
Hypertension
High BMI
Respiratory
Reduction of cough and laryngeal reflexes
Calcification of costal cartilage in the trachea and ribcage
Higher risk for respiratory infection
Increased residual capacity and reduced vital capacity
Thoracic inspiratory and expiratory muscles are weaker
Decreased secretions from the submucosal glands reduce the body's ability to dilute mucus secretions
Alveoli are fewer in number and larger in size
Leads to less effective gas exchange.
Reduced basilar inflation
Musculoskeletal
Reduced muscle mass, strength, and movement
Thinning of vertebral discs
Diminished calcium absorption
Decreased bone mineral and mass
Muscle fibers atrophy and decrease in number with aging
Deterioration of cartilage takes place with aging
Deterioration of the cartilaginous surfaces of joints places the older adult at a high risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis:
Symptoms
Pain in the joints, joint stiffness, and loss of flexibility are key symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Risk Factors
Old age, obesity, and repeated stress on the joints all place a person at higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.
Pathophysiology
A degradation of cartilage and bone remodelling from chrondrocytes and inflammatory cells lead to a loss of joint space and causes bone on bone friction.
Gastrointestinal
Atrophy of the small and large intestines
Atrophy of the tongue and its taste buds
As a result of decreased perception of smell and atrophy of taste buds, taste sensation becomes diminished with aging.
Decreased esophageal motility
Increased risk of aspiration and indigestion
Atrophy of the gastric mucosa
Hydrochloric acid and pepsin production decline leading to a higher pH of the stomach
Increases incidence of gastric irritation in the older population
Less efficient cholesterol stabilization and absorption causes an increased incidence of gall stones
Cholelithiasis: The presence of one or more gall stones in the gallbladder.
Pathophysiology
Symptoms
Abdominal pain is the most common symptom
Slower transmission of neural impulses to the lower bowel reduces awareness of the need to evacuate the bowels
Age-related loss of tone of the internal sphincter can affect bowel elimination
Integumentary
Loss of subcutaneous fat
Progressive loss of pigment cells and atrophy and fibrosis of the scalp, pubic, and axillary hair
Thinning and graying of scalp, pubic, and axillary hair
Reduced thickness and vascularity of the dermis
As a result of decreased immune response and a less effective barrier with thinner skin, older adults are more susceptible to infections of the skin
Loss of elastin leads to decreased skin elasticity
Nervous System
Hypothalamus becomes less effective at temperature regulation
Loss of subcutaneous fat and decreased homeostatic abilities of the hypothalamus compound to make temperature regulation more difficult for the older adult.
Weight of the brain and blood flow to it decreases with age
Reduction in neurons, nerve fibers, and cerebral blood flow
Decrease in growth of new axons and reinnervation of injured peripheral nerves
Decreased nerve conduction velocity
Slower response and reaction times
Cardiovascular
Cardiac muscle cells lose efficiency and contractile strength
Reduced cardiac output as a result of physiologic stress
Blood vessels lose elasticity
Heart valves thicken and become rigid
Less efficient use of oxygen
Peripheral resistance increases by 1% per year
Blood pressure increases to compensate for increased peripheral resistance and reduced cardiac output
Aorta becomes dilated and elongated
Immune System
Cell-mediated immune response declines
Inflammatory defenses decline
T-cell activity declines
Risk for infection becomes significant
Increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines occurs
Can play a factor in the development of diseases whose prevalence increases with aging, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and osteoporosis
Endocrine
Fibrosis, cellular infiltration, and increased nodularity of the thyroid gland leads to decreased activity
Leads to:
Reduced radioactive iodine uptake
Decreased thyrotropin secretion and release
lower basal metabolic rate
ACTH secretion decreases
Increased antidiuretic hormone released causing the kidneys to retain more water
Decreased urine production
Delayed and insufficient release of insulin by pancreatic beta cells
Insufficient insulin release and the older adult's reduced ability to metabolize glucose puts them at higher risk of developing Type II Diabetes.
Pathophysiology
Type 2 Diabetes is the result of two interrelated problems. A decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin and the inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. The body is unable to control blood glucose levels resulting in hyperglycemia.
Symptoms:
Polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and unintended weight loss are the characteristic symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
Risk Factors
Obesity
Increased age (>45 years)
Family history
David Towell