Aging and Declining Health: An Unavoidable Reality
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we always had the vigor and good health of most 20-year-olds? Unfortunately, no matter how well we take care of ourselves, we will eventually have some health challenges. Declining health is a natural part of aging, and it happens for a wide variety of reasons, including:
Cellular aging
Our immune system is amazing. When functioning properly, it disposes of damaged and less efficient cells in our body. When we age, however, our ability to dispose of them drops off, and those aging or senescent cells stick around and weaken our immunities. Finding ways to remove senescent cells may be key to protecting against cellular aging.
Decreased hormone levels
Our endocrine system comprises glands and organs that secrete hormones that regulate various bodily functions. Aging has an impact on hormone levels, creating an increase in some and a decrease in others. Hormone levels that tend to decrease with age include:
- estrogen in women
- testosterone in men
- melatonin
- human growth hormone (HGH)
Let’s look at one of them.
The tiny pituitary gland in the brain produces HGH, which is critical for human growth and cell repair. However, as we approach middle age and beyond, this important hormone’s production drops quite substantially in later years. This can result in a decrease in muscle mass and strength, a decrease in lean body mass, and an increase in body fat, particularly in men. Moreover, a reduction in HGH levels goes hand in hand with lower bone density and thinning skin.
However, a decades-old study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed positive results for a test group of 12 men in the 61 to 81-year age group who were administered a biosynthetic form of HGH over six months. Each study participant had positive tissue responses to the HGH injections with no detectable affect on their bone density.
It’s important to note that while we’ve come a long way in the study and treatment of people with deficient levels of HGH, any use of HGH for men as a treatment should be closely supervised by a physician. Biosynthetic HGH won’t magically restore youth, but it could generate positive results in otherwise healthy older men.
Metabolic slowdown
Have you ever noticed that older people don’t often need the same amount of food that they did in their younger days? According to a study out of Harvard Medical School, our metabolisms slow down as we age, though not as early as we’ve been led to believe. Maintaining an active lifestyle, following a well-balanced diet, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep are still some of the best ways to maintain a good metabolism.
Cardiovascular changes
It’s no surprise that many seniors take statins to lower fats and cholesterol in the blood, or medications for high blood pressure. As we age, our blood vessels’ walls become thicker and less flexible, and fatty deposits may build up on the walls of our arteries. These issues make older people more susceptible to heart attacks, strokes, and coronary heart disease.
According to the National Institute on Aging, some of the most common signs of heart disease include:
- chest pain following physical activity
- shortness of breath
- feeling dizzy
- confusion
- cold sweats
- nausea and vomiting
No matter how inconsequential such symptoms may seem, you can best protect yourself by reporting them immediately to your doctor and following any change in diet and activity she recommends.
Weakened immune system
There’s a good reason why the flu is harder to recover from when you’re over 60. An informative article by the Mayo Clinic Press adeptly describes how our immune system works in layman’s terms. In it, the Mayo Clinic’s Jessica Lancaster, Ph.D. and assistant professor of immunology and cancer biology, discusses the two types of immune systems we all possess. The innate system, which acts as a first responder, attacks germs and widens our blood vessels to create swelling. On the other hand, the adaptive system is more like the military, sending T and B white cells that remember and respond quicker to those same types of infections when they recur.
As we age, the number of innate cells grows, causing constant low-level swelling. However, the T and B cells in our adaptive system decline. This results in longer recovery times from illness, increased risks of cancer, and a steady march forward of age-related diseases.
Decreased bone density
Believe it or not, our bones are living tissue; throughout our lives, they are constantly breaking down and replaced by new tissue. Unfortunately, as part of the aging process, our bodies don’t keep up with making new tissue at the same rate we lose it. According to the good doctors at Yale Medicine, osteopenia, aka low bone density, can lead to osteoporosis, a condition where the bones become fragile and weak and susceptible to fractures. While osteoporosis is most commonly associated with post-menopausal women due to the loss of estrogen that helps keep bones healthy, lower testosterone levels in men also make them candidates for low bone density as they age.
Cognitive decline
Have you ever had one of those “senior moments” where you forget where you left your car keys or why you went upstairs to your bedroom or home office? Losing your train of thought occasionally is normal at every age. Still, if forgetfulness, confusion, or the ability to follow a book, movie, or simple conversation becomes more frequent, you may be experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, cognitive impairment is often the result of changes in the brain as we age. Risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, a lack of physical exercise, and social activities, among others.
Conclusion
As much as we may want to now and then, there’s simply no way to turn back time. But we can still do a lot to help ensure our later years are as healthy as possible. Eating well, exercising, getting adequate sleep, managing stress, and avoiding drugs and alcohol are great preventative measures for people of every age.
