How the Body Changes with Age
HOW THE BODY CHANGES WITH AGE
compiled by Wendy Melillo
from the National Institute on Aging’s Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
in the Harvard Health Letter.
The effects of aging vary greatly among individuals. Although there are differences reported between men and women, many of the changes normally occur in both sexes. Inherited qualities play a major role. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise and nutrition also affect the aging process.
SIGHT: Inability to focus close up can start in the 40's. Ability to see fine details decreases in the 70's.
TASTE: The number of taste buds can decline, causing an inability to appreciate subtle distinctions in flavors.
SMELL: Slowly declines after age 45 and more rapidly after 65, making it difficult to detect delicate fragrances.
HEARING: Ability to hear higher frequencies declines. Hearing loss occurs less rapidly in women than in men.
BLOOD PRESSURE: Size of blood vessels narrows. Systolic blood pressure – the top number – increases by about 15 percent between the ages of 35 and 70. What is considered normal is a systolic pressure (when the heart muscle is contracted) of 120 over a diastolic pressure (when the heart muscle is relaxed) of 80. As a rule, women have slightly lower blood pressures than men and the numbers are affected by age, activity, weight, and general health.
BODY FAT: Women have 50% more body fat than men and store it in the hips-buttocks-thigh area. Men sore fat in the abdominal area. With age, the body does not normally lose fat but will redistribute it from just under the skin to deeper parts of the body.
BONES: Men and women begin to lose bone mass after 40.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: The esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon lose muscle tone with age. Regular contractions that propel food through the system become less frequent, causing the stomach to take longer to process it. The gallbladder also slows down, releasing bile into the small intestine and increasing the likelihood of gallstones. The liver shrinks.
HAIR: As people age, the body produces less color pigment, triggering the greying process. This becomes noticeable after age 30.
HEART: Grows slightly larger. For men, the heart’s ability to pump oxygen during exercise declines by 5-10% for each decade of adult life. For women, it declines by 7.5%. Women who tend to develop coronary heart disease and hypertension later than men, may experience more angina attacks, but men are likely to have more heart attacks.
HEIGHT: Men and women tend to shrink with age, due to alternations in bone structure and muscle tissue. The change is greater in women.
IMMUNE SYSTEM: The thymus, a gland that regulates T cells, which help fight off disease, gradually shrinks. As the number of T cells declines, the ability to release antibodies to fight off infections also decreases.
KIDNEYS AND BLADDER: Gradual reduction in blood flow to the kidneys impairs the organ’s ability to extract wastes from the blood. Bladder capacity also declines. In women, loss of muscle strength can cause urinary incontinence.
LUNGS: Maximum breathing capacity can decline by 40% between ages 20 and 70.
MEMORY: Declines slightly. Older women are significantly better at recalling words, and older men are much better at recalling numbers.
MUSCLES: Muscle mass declines between 20% and 40% after age 20 with a lack of exercise.
NERVES: the production of neurotransmitters – chemical messengers that carry impulses to and from the brain – slows down. A loss of peripheral nerves can blunt the sense of touch, pain and sensitivity to heat and cold. Changes in nerves in the inner ear can cause dizziness, making it difficult to maintain balance.
PERSONALITY: No changes reported unless a disease, such as Alzheimer’s, which affects memory and mood, is present.
SEXUAL FUNCTION: In men, sexual activity tends to decline with age. Men who had more frequent sex as young adults continue that pattern after age 40. For women, aging has little effect on sexual pleasure, although desire and frequency of orgasm may decrease with age.
MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: The male hormone testosterone steadily diminishes. Changes in hormone balance may cause an enlargement of the prostate gland, which produces the fluid in semen.
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: Ovarian sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, decline after age 50. This can accelerate bone loss in women, which can cause osteoporosis and increased risk of fractures. Hot flashes may also result.
SKIN: Loses it’s elasticity because of declines in collagen – a connective tissue. Exposure to environmental factors such as sunlight and wind can cause dryness.
TEETH AND GUMS: Presence of gingivitis – inflammation of the gums – and periodontal disease – inflammation of the tissues that support teeth – increases with age.