Effects of exercise on the immune system in the elderly population

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 523-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helle Bruunsgaard ◽  
Bente Klarlund Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
The Elderly

Immune system changes and immunosenescence

2017 ◽  
pp. 331-336
Author(s):  
Graham Pawelec ◽  
Ludmila Müller ◽  
Tamas Fülöp ◽  
Deborah Dunn-Walters
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Older People ◽  
Protective Immunity ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Immune Status ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Degenerative Diseases ◽  
System Changes ◽  
Increased Susceptibility

The immune system defends against infection, but older people paradoxically suffer not only from failing immunity resulting in increased susceptibility to infections and decreased responsiveness to vaccination, but at the same time increased inflammation and immunopathology accompanying immune responses. Interventions to reduce such deleterious effects while enhancing protective immunity are challenging but need to be confronted if we are to deal successfully with the increasing numbers of elderly and frail people in modern societies. To do this, we need to understand the mechanisms responsible for age-associated increased susceptibility to infections and immune-influenced chronic degenerative diseases of ageing. Defining relevant age-associated alterations and identifying reliable biomarkers for monitoring clinically-relevant immune status in the elderly population is crucial to overcoming these problems. Here, we briefly outline age-associated changes to immunity collectively termed ‘immunosenescence’.

scholarly journals Chronic Pain in the Elderly: The Case for New Therapeutic Strategies

2015 ◽  
Vol 5;18 (5;9) ◽  
pp. E863-E876
Author(s):  
Giustino Varrassi
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Mast Cells ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Neuronal Cells ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Narrative Review

Background: Elderly patients in general exhibit a higher incidence of chronic and neuropathic pain conditions. This group poses a particular clinical challenge due to age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic issues, comorbid conditions, and polypharmacy, as well as frailty and cognitive decline. Poor control of pain has consistently been identified as an issue for older people. The identification of safe and efficacious treatments for chronic pain remains a critical public health concern, especially considering the progressive increase of the world’s elderly population. Objectives: This narrative review deals with the principal alterations of the somatosensory system together with changes in non-neuronal cells in the course of aging. The possibility to control chronic pain based on an innovative strategy which addresses non-neuronal cell dysregulation control will also be discussed. Study Design: Narrative review. Results: Peripheral nerves display functional, structural, and biochemical changes with aging that mainly involve Aδ fibers. Alteration in the responses to heat pain in the middle insular cortex and primary somatosensory cortex are also observed in the elderly. In general, pain threshold increases with age while the threshold of pain tolerance remains unchanged or decreases. Additionally, other important modifications of the pain perception system in this age group consist in a clear reduction in the descending inhibitory capacity with an associated increase in central sensitization. Furthermore, different changes concern immune system cells, such as mast cells and microglia, that with age show an increase in their sensitivity to noxious stimuli and a decreased capability to be regulated by homeostatic endogenous systems. Since these cells are the primary interlocutors for pain neurons, their alterations lead to changes that promote persistent neuroinflammation, thereby impacting pain neuronal cell functionality. Limitation: This review is not an exhaustive review for the current evidence supporting the role of immune cells in influencing pain somatosensory neuron functions. It is also important to stress the small number of studies designed to determine the efficacy and safety of anti-pain therapies in elderly patients. Conclusion: Non-neuronal cells of immune system origin such as microglia and mast cells, along with astrocytes, are capable of influencing pain somatosensory neuron functions. These nervous system non-neuronal cells may thus be viewed as innovative targets for persistent pain control. Among therapies aiming at preserving the functionality of non-neuronal cells, palmitoylethanolamide, with its high efficacy/risk ratio, may be an excellent co-treatment for the ever-growing elderly population with chronic pain. Key words: Elderly, chronic and neuropathic pain, mast cells, glial cells, neuroinflammation, micronized and ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide

scholarly journals Uveitis in the Aging Eye: Incidence, Patterns, and Differential Diagnosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwan R. Abdulaal ◽  
Bachir H. Abiad ◽  
Rola N. Hamam
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
De Novo ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The United States ◽  
Aging Body ◽  
Considerable Morbidity ◽  
Legal Blindness

Uveitis is a vision threatening inflammation of the eye that carries considerable morbidity. It is responsible for 10% of legal blindness in the United States and up to 25% in the developing world. Uveitis in patients more than 60 years of age is less common. The aging body has a changing response of the immune system, which might reflect a different pattern of uveitis in the elderly population. In this paper we review the incidence and patterns of uveitis in the elderly as reported in the literature and discuss changes with time. We also delineate a thorough differential diagnosis of de novo uveitis in the elderly.

scholarly journals Nutrition and immunity in the elderly

1999 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Lesourd ◽  
Lynda Mazari
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Humoral Immunity ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
T Helper ◽  
Immune Changes

Immune function declines with age, leading to increased infection and cancer rates in aged individuals. In fact, recent progress in the study of immune ageing has introduced the idea that rather than a general decline in the functions of the immune system with age, immune ageing is mainly characterized by a progressive appearance of immune dysregulation throughout life. Changes appear earlier in life for cell-mediated immunity than for humoral immunity. Thus, agerelated modifications in cell-mediated immunity, i.e. changes in naive: memory T-cells, mature: immature T-cells, T-helper 1: T-helper 2 cells are more important in the elderly than changes in humoral immunity, i.e. CD5: CD5+ cells or length of antibody responses. Such evolution of the immune system has been linked to declining thymus function and to accumulative antigenic influence over the lifespan. In contrast, innate immunity (macrophage functions) is preserved or even increased during the ageing process. This finding shows that the ‘primitive’ immune system is less affected by the ageing process than the sophisticated specific immune system. The present review focuses on innate and cell-mediated immune changes with ageing. It provides evidence that primary changes (intrinsic modifications in the immune system) and secondary changes (resulting from environmental influences during the lifespan) exert different influences on the immune system. Primary changes, occurring in healthy individuals, seem less important nowadays than they were considered to be previously. For example, interleukin 2 secretion in some very healthy aged individuals is comparable with that in younger adults. Primary immune changes may not explain the increased incidence and severity of infections observed in the elderly population. Secondary immunological changes are far more frequent and are certainly responsible for most of the immune modifications observed in the elderly population. Environmental factors leading to secondary immune dysfunctions include not only antigenic influence, which is a reflection of diseases experienced over the lifespan, but also many other factors such as drug intake, physical activity and diet; factors for which important changes occur in the elderly population. Nutritional factors play a major role in the immune responses of aged individuals and the present review shows that nutritional influences on immune responses are of great consequence in aged individuals, even in the very healthy elderly.

scholarly journals NK Cells in Healthy Aging and Age-Associated Diseases

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Camous ◽  
Alejandra Pera ◽  
Rafael Solana ◽  
Anis Larbi
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Deep Impact ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Associated Diseases

NK cells exhibit the highest cytotoxic capacity within the immune system. Alteration of their number or functionality may have a deep impact on overall immunity. This is of particular relevance in aging where the elderly population becomes more susceptible to infection, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases amongst others. As the fraction of elderly increases worldwide, it becomes urgent to better understand the aging of the immune system to prevent and cure the elderly population. For this, a better understanding of the function and phenotype of the different immune cells and their subsets is necessary. We review here NK cell functions and phenotype in healthy aging as well as in various age-associated diseases.

Validity and Reliability of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE)

GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-151
Author(s):  
Mahshid Foroughan ◽  
Zahra Jafari ◽  
Ida Ghaemmagham Farahani ◽  
Vahid Rashedi
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cognitive State ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Farsi Version

Abstract. This study examines the psychometric properties of the IQCODE and its applicability in the Iranian elderly population. A group of 95 elderly patients with at least 4 years of formal education who fulfilled the criteria of DSM-IV-TR for dementia were examined by the MMSE and the AMTs. The Farsi version of the IQCODE was subsequently administered to their primary caregivers. Results showed a significant correlation ( p = .01) between the score of the questionnaire and the results of the MMSE ( r = −0.647) and AMTs ( r = −0.641). A high internal reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.927) and test-retest reliability by correlation coefficient ( r = 0.81). This study found that the IQCODE has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used for evaluating the cognitive state in the elderly population of Iran.

Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the Elderly Population

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sommaruga ◽  
R. Beekman ◽  
S. Chu ◽  
Z. King ◽  
C. Matouk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Percutaneous Sacroplasty for Sacral Insufficiency Fractures: Case Series and Review of Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Clark ◽  
Devang Butani
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Case Series ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Open Reduction Internal Fixation ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Insufficiency Fractures ◽  
Invasive Treatment ◽  
Sacral Insufficiency Fractures

Sacral insufficiency fractures (SIFs) are a cause of debilitating low back pain that is often difficult to diagnosis and manage. The diagnosis of SIF is often delayed due to inaccurately attributing symptoms to spondylosis, which is a commonly present in the elderly population where SIFs are most prevalent. Historically, treatment consisted of medical management and open reduction internal fixation reserved for severe cases. However, percutaneous sacroplasty has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment option which provides early pain relief without significant complications. The objective of this article is to raise awareness of SIFs and percutaneous sacroplasty as an effective and safe treatment method.

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