The biology of ageing

2012 ◽  
pp. 1507-1512
Author(s):  
Alan H. Bittles
Keyword(s):  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Physiological Dysregulation

Although old age is readily recognizable, methods to define and measure the underlying biological processes are much less amenable to study. For this reason, life expectancy has been widely used as a surrogate measure of ageing, as well as to monitor economic progress at national and regional levels. It is generally acknowledged that lifespan is a constitutional feature of the human phenotype, and twin studies have indicated that 25–33 per cent of the variance in human longevity is genetic in origin. External factors including lifestyle can also exert a major influence, as illustrated by the current mean life expectancies of 79 and 86 years for males and females in Japan, whereas the comparable figures for Botswana are 35 and 33 years, respectively. The importance of genetic inheritance as a determinant of extended survival has been illustrated by population level studies in Okinawa, an island prefecture of southern Japan with a very high prevalence of long-lived individuals. On the island, the mortality rates of the male and female siblings of centenarians were approximately half those of birth cohort-matched, non-centenarian siblings. These findings parallel an earlier study of the family of Jeanne Calment, who died in France in 1997 aged 122 years. Of her 55 relatives, 24 per cent had lived to >80 years compared to just 2 per cent of a matched control group. However, it remains unclear whether the enhanced lifespan of individuals who exhibit above average longevity is due to a slowing of the overall ageing process or is primarily associated with resistance to major life-threatening pathologies. The concept of an ‘allostatic load’, potentially involving the neuroendocrine, sympathetic nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems, and metabolic pathways, has been advanced to describe the lifetime costs of adapting to physical and psychological stresses. According to this hypothesis, while the actions of biological mediators of stress can be initially beneficial to health, chronic stimulation results in regulatory imbalance and subsequent pathophysiological changes. Empirical studies have indicated increased physiological dysregulation and functional decline at >70 years of age, which would imply that predicted global increases in the numbers of older persons will be accompanied by disproportionately larger groups of individuals with major age-related pathologies.

Studying Changes in Life Circumstances and Personality: It's about Time

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maike Luhmann ◽  
Ulrich Orth ◽  
Jule Specht ◽  
Christian Kandler ◽  
Richard E. Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Major Life Events ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Life Circumstances

Most theories of personality development posit that changes in life circumstances (e.g. due to major life events) can lead to changes in personality, but few studies have examined the exact time course of these changes. In this article, we argue that time needs to be considered explicitly in theories and empirical studies on personality development. We discuss six notions on the role of time in personality development. First, people can differ before the event. Second, change can be non–linear and discontinuous. Third, change can be reversible. Fourth, change can occur before the event. Fifth, control groups are needed to disentangle age–related and event–related changes. Sixth, we need to move beyond examining single major life events and study the effects of non–normative events, non–events, multiple events, and minor events on personality. We conclude by summarizing the methodological and theoretical implications of these notions. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals The bio-psycho-social frailty: a key to the integrate territorial and hospital care in Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Roller-Winsberger
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
Active And Healthy Ageing ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Practice Models ◽  
Health And Social Care

Abstract Demographic changes have forced communities and people themselves to reshape ageing concepts and approaches and try to develop actions towards Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA). The prevalence of frailty at population-level is expected to increase in Europe, changing the focus of Public Health. The European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIPonAHA), a private public partnerships (PPP) launched by the European Commission (EC) is aimed at developing new solutions to facilitate AHA. The partnership combined the view on frailty coming from public health as well as the clinical management, and managed to overcome barriers between these two worlds. Bio-Psycho-Social frailty represents a synthetic indicator providing an effective basis to overcome a silos approach that is often performed by health and social professionals working in the field. The A3-Action Group on ' Lifespan Health Promotion & Prevention of Age-Related Frailty and Diseases” proposes good practice models to achieve and support the healthy ageing of European citizens using a bottom-up approach targeting the prevention of frailty and subsequent functional decline. Multiple factors were highlighted by the group as useful for healthcare planning: malnutrition, polypharmacy, impairment of physical function and social isolation were targeted to mitigate frailty and its consequences. Integrated health and social care is a key factors to affect ageing positively either in the field of prevention of functional decline and in the field of care. Studies focused on the management of frailty highlighted that tailored interventions can improve physical performance and reduce adverse outcomes. A crucial role is played by training of health personnel and education at population level in order to achieve a new awareness about AHA trajectory.

Oral and Oropharyngeal Sensory Function in Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 864-872
Author(s):  
Fernanda Borowsky da Rosa ◽  
Adriane Schmidt Pasqualoto ◽  
Catriona M. Steele ◽  
Renata Mancopes
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Sensory Function ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Copd Patients

Introduction The oral cavity and pharynx have a rich sensory system composed of specialized receptors. The integrity of oropharyngeal sensation is thought to be fundamental for safe and efficient swallowing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are at risk for oropharyngeal sensory impairment due to frequent use of inhaled medications and comorbidities including gastroesophageal reflux disease. Objective This study aimed to describe and compare oral and oropharyngeal sensory function measured using noninstrumental clinical methods in adults with COPD and healthy controls. Method Participants included 27 adults (18 men, nine women) with a diagnosis of COPD and a mean age of 66.56 years ( SD = 8.68). The control group comprised 11 healthy adults (five men, six women) with a mean age of 60.09 years ( SD = 11.57). Spirometry measures confirmed reduced functional expiratory volumes (% predicted) in the COPD patients compared to the control participants. All participants completed a case history interview and underwent clinical evaluation of oral and oropharyngeal sensation by a speech-language pathologist. The sensory evaluation explored the detection of tactile and temperature stimuli delivered by cotton swab to six locations in the oral cavity and two in the oropharynx as well as identification of the taste of stimuli administered in 5-ml boluses to the mouth. Analyses explored the frequencies of accurate responses regarding stimulus location, temperature and taste between groups, and between age groups (“≤ 65 years” and “> 65 years”) within the COPD cohort. Results We found significantly higher frequencies of reported use of inhaled medications ( p < .001) and xerostomia ( p = .003) in the COPD cohort. Oral cavity thermal sensation ( p = .009) was reduced in the COPD participants, and a significant age-related decline in gustatory sensation was found in the COPD group ( p = .018). Conclusion This study found that most of the measures of oral and oropharyngeal sensation remained intact in the COPD group. Oral thermal sensation was impaired in individuals with COPD, and reduced gustatory sensation was observed in the older COPD participants. Possible links between these results and the use of inhaled medication by individuals with COPD are discussed.

Burnout of the Mind – Burnout of the Body?

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Traunmüller ◽  
Kerstin Gaisbachgrabner ◽  
Helmut Karl Lackner ◽  
Andreas R. Schwerdtfeger
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
The Body ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Urinary Catecholamines ◽  
Morning Cortisol ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Cortisol Increase

Abstract. In the present paper we investigate whether patients with a clinical diagnosis of burnout show physiological signs of burden across multiple physiological systems referred to as allostatic load (AL). Measures of the sympathetic-adrenergic-medullary (SAM) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis were assessed. We examined patients who had been diagnosed with burnout by their physicians (n = 32) and were also identified as burnout patients based on their score in the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and compared them with a nonclinical control group (n = 19) with regard to indicators of allostatic load (i.e., ambulatory ECG, nocturnal urinary catecholamines, salivary morning cortisol secretion, blood pressure, and waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]). Contrary to expectations, a higher AL index suggesting elevated load in several of the parameters of the HPA and SAM axes was found in the control group but not in the burnout group. The control group showed higher norepinephrine values, higher blood pressure, higher WHR, higher sympathovagal balance, and lower percentage of cortisol increase within the first hour after awakening as compared to the patient group. Burnout was not associated with AL. Results seem to indicate a discrepancy between self-reported burnout symptoms and psychobiological load.

Studying Populations of Online Communities

2019 ◽  
pp. 173-193
Author(s):  
Benjamin Mako Hill ◽  
Aaron Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Online Communities ◽  
Information Diffusion ◽  
Diffusion Processes ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Large Majority ◽  
Community Processes ◽  
Published Research

While the large majority of published research on online communities consists of analyses conducted entirely within individual communities, this chapter argues for a population-based approach, in which researchers study groups of similar communities. For example, although there have been thousands of papers published about Wikipedia, a population-based approach might compare all wikis on a particular topic. Using examples from published empirical studies, the chapter describes five key benefits of this approach. First, it argues that population-level research increases the generalizability of findings. Next, it describes four processes and dynamics that are only possible to study using populations: community-level variables, information diffusion processes across communities, ecological dynamics, and multilevel community processes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of a series of limitations and challenges.

The Roles of Twin Studies and Modern Genomic Technologies in Integrative Health Science

2018 ◽  
pp. 34-46
Author(s):  
Robert F. Krueger ◽  
Susan C. South
Keyword(s):  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Integrative Health ◽  
Genomic Technologies ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Modern Genomic

This chapter focuses on genetically informative research design and strategy in integrative health science (IHS). A feature of IHS is studying individual differences in health outcomes together and in a multidisciplinary manner. The chapter focuses on the advantages of using genetically informative research strategies for IHS. Genetically informative strategies are tools to enrich inferences within the IHS paradigm. They help parse the meaning of observed associations between exposures and outcomes. Two strategies are considered for the Midlife in the United States study : (1) Gene × Environment interactions and (2) correlations between education and allostatic load. A strategy likely to be employed in IHS research involves using segments of RNA to understand mechanisms underlying health and illness, focusing on the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA). The conclusion is that IHS and genetically informative research strategies are natural allies in understanding origins of health and illness in the population at large.

scholarly journals The impact of vascular risk factors on the thickness and volume of the choroid in AMD patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Krytkowska ◽  
Aleksandra Grabowicz ◽  
Katarzyna Mozolewska-Piotrowska ◽  
Zofia Ulańczyk ◽  
Krzysztof Safranow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Vascular Risk Factors ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Vascular Risk ◽  
Average Volume ◽  
Central Ring ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Wet Amd

AbstractDisturbances in choroidal microcirculation may lead to the onset and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We aimed to assess changes in the choroidal volume and thickness in the macular region in AMD eyes and to investigate whether coexisting vascular risk factors alter choroidal status. We enrolled 354 AMD patients (175 dry, 179 wet AMD) and 121 healthy controls. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination and assessment of choroidal thickness and volume. A multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and smoking status revealed that wet AMD was an independent factor associated with higher average thickness of the central ring area (ATC) and average volume of the central ring area (AVC) and lower choroidal vascularity index (CVI) compared to controls (β =  + 0.18, p = 0.0007, β =  + 0.18, p = 0.0008, respectively) and to dry AMD (β =  + 0.17, p = 0.00003 for both ATC and AVC and β =  − 0.30 p < 0.0001 for CVI). ATC, AVC and average volume (AV) were lower in AMD patients with hypertension and ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The duration of hypertension was inversely correlated with ATC, AVC and AV (Rs =  − 0.13, p < 0.05; Rs =  − 0.12; p < 0.05, Rs =  − 0.12; p < 0.05, respectively) while IHD duration negatively correlated with AV (Rs =  − 0.15, p < 0.05). No such associations were observed in the control group. Our findings show that the choroidal vascular system in eyes with AMD is much more susceptible to damage in the presence than in the absence of systemic vascular disease.

scholarly journals Spontaneous Eye Blinks Predict Executive Functioning in Seniors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessika I. V. Buitenweg ◽  
Jaap M. J. Murre ◽  
K. Richard Ridderinkhof
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Memory Updating ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Working Memory Updating

AbstractAs the world’s population is aging rapidly, cognitive training is an extensively used approach to attempt improvement of age-related cognitive functioning. With increasing numbers of older adults required to remain in the workforce, it is important to be able to reliably predict future functional decline, as well as the individual advantages of cognitive training. Given the correlation between age-related decline and striatal dopaminergic function, we investigated whether eye blink rate (EBR), a non-invasive, indirect indicator of dopaminergic activity, could predict executive functioning (response inhibition, switching and working memory updating) as well as trainability of executive functioning in older adults. EBR was collected before and after a cognitive flexibility training, cognitive training without flexibility, or a mock training. EBR predicted working memory updating performance on two measures of updating, as well as trainability of working memory updating, whereas performance and trainability in inhibition and switching tasks could not be predicted by EBR. Our findings tentatively indicate that EBR permits prediction of working memory performance in older adults. To fully interpret the relationship with executive functioning, we suggest future research should assess both EBR and dopamine receptor availability among seniors.

scholarly journals Modeling Hearing Loss Progression and Asymmetry in the Older Old: A National Population-Based Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 214-215
Author(s):  
Rahul Sharma ◽  
Anil Lalwani ◽  
Justin Golub
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
National Database ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Public Datasets

Abstract The progression and asymmetry of age-related hearing loss has not been well characterized in those 80 years of age and older because public datasets mask upper extremes of age to protect anonymity. We aimed to model the progression and asymmetry of hearing loss in the older old using a representative, national database. This was a cross-sectional, multicentered US epidemiologic analysis using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) 2005-2006, 2009-2010, and 2011-2012 cycles. Subjects included non-institutionalized, civilian adults 80 years and older (n=621). Federal security clearance was granted to access publicly-restricted age data. Outcome measures included pure-tone average air conduction thresholds and the 4-frequency pure tone average (PTA). 621 subjects were 80 years old or older (mean=84.2 years, range=80-104 years), representing 10,600,197 Americans. Hearing loss exhibited constant acceleration across the adult lifespan at a rate of 0.0052 dB/year2 (95% CI = 0.0049, 0.0055). Compounded over a lifetime, the velocity of hearing loss would increase five-fold, from 0.2 dB loss/year at age 20 to 1 dB loss/year at age 100. This model predicted mean PTA within 2 dB of accuracy for most ages between 20 and 100 years. There was no change in the asymmetry of hearing loss with increasing age over 80 years (linear regression coefficient of asymmetry over age=0.07 (95% CI=-0.01, 0.24). In conclusion, hearing loss steadily and predictably accelerates across the adult lifespan to at least age 100, becoming near-universal. These population-level statistics will guide treatment and policy recommendations for hearing health in the older old.

scholarly journals Meaning of Aging, Gerotranscendence, and Successful Aging in Older Adults With Chronic Health Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 423-423
Author(s):  
Meredith Troutman-Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

Abstract Aging presents change in the form of opportunities and challenges, from common physical alterations, to major life events. Perception of such events is greatly shaped by one’s mental health, and is a major influence on gerotranscendence, a positive kind of aging involving redefinition of self, relationships, and proposed to be a precursor to successful aging. A mixed-methods cross-sectional descriptive design was used to study 50 older adults. Life Events Checklist, Gerotranscendence Scale, Herth Hope Index, and Successful Aging Inventory were administered. Mean participant age was 70.78 years; there were 9 males (18%), 41 females (82%), 13 were Black (26%), and 37 were White (74%). Participants reported a number of stressful events, most frequently transportation accidents, followed by other very stressful events or experiences, and sudden unexpected death of someone close. Gerotranscendence scores ranged from 0-10 (µ 6.88, a moderate score). Successful aging scores ranged from 40-79 (µ 62.33, a moderate score). A sub-sample of 6 participants engaged in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and subject to content analysis. Faith, displaced longing, temporal anticipation, proactive problem-solving/coping, and concern for future generations were emergent qualitative themes. Findings highlight opportunities for providers from multiple disciplines to target risks and possibilities for aging successfully and to promote hope, optimism, problem-solving skills, and gerotranscendence in all older adults, regardless of physical or functional health status.

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