Physiological Changes Associated With Aging Aging is the complex and inevitable process of tissue and organ system degeneration. Though largely influenced by genetics, aging is also dependent upon a number of environmental factors including exercise, diet, childhood personality, and exposure to ionizing radiation, pollutants, or microorganisms. The physiological changes that occur as an individual's age advances can be grouped into three, with the first category encompassing changes in such homeostatic mechanisms as extracellular fluid volumes, blood, and temperature; the second encompassing changes related to decreasing organ mass; and the third, changes in the body's functional reserve systems. Promoting the health of an aging population is crucial not only because it ensures the well-being of ageing individuals, but also because it significantly reduces the burden imposed upon a country's medical system. It is with this in mind that this text collates knowledge and research to examine, in a deeper sense, the physiological changes associated with aging.

Summary

Bherer, Erickson and Liu-Ambrose (2013); Saber, 2013

Bherer et al. (2013) express that the physiological changes associated with aging are more pronounced among individuals aged above 85, although this basically depends upon one's lifestyle and genetic factors. Saber (2013) posits that these changes may affect an individual's response to illness and functional reserve stressors. Both articles outline a variety of physiological changes associated with aging. These, together with their etiologies, implications, and assessment parameters have, for purposes of simplicity, been put together, organized, and summarized in the tabular representation below.

Associated Changes

Etiology

Implications

Cardiovascular changes

-stiffening and thickening of arterial walls, reduced compliance

-mitral and atrial valve sclerosis brought about by atrial and left ventricular hypertrophy

-cool extremities brought about by decreasing peripheral and increasing arterial pulses

-Low cardiac reserve;

a) No change in cardiac output or heart rate when individual is at rest

b) Diminished cardiac output, giving rise to slow tachycardia recovery, shortness of breath and fatigue when individual is under stress

-Inflamed varicosities, increasing the risk of hypertension, or diuretic-induced hypotension

Pulmonary system

-Stiff chest wall and diminished muscle strength

-reduced cough reflex, macrophage and ciliary activity

-reduced hypercapnia and hypoxia responses