- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Chapter 40 Why do organisms age?
- Chapter 41 Age-related physiologic declines
- Chapter 42 The emergence of ageing phenotypes and multisystem decline
- Chapter 43 Environment and ageing biology
- Chapter 44 Inflammation and its role in ageing and disease
- Chapter 45 Immune system changes and immunosenescence
- Chapter 46 Mitochondrial decline and chronic conditions of older adults
- Chapter 47 Biological significance of gut microbiota changes associated with ageing
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing
(p. 303) Age-related physiologic declines
- Chapter:
- (p. 303) Age-related physiologic declines
- Author(s):
Elisa Fabbri
, Marco Zoli
, and Luigi Ferrucci
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0041
‘How and why living organisms age?’ This question has puzzled and challenged philosophers and scientists for centuries. Ageing can be defined as a progressive loss of anatomic and physiological integrity across multiple systems and organs, leading to impaired function and higher vulnerability to adverse health outcomes and death. Although the biological mechanisms that trigger and accelerate ageing are still not understood, enormous steps forward in delineating the effects of ageing has been made in recent years. Ageing induces morphological and physiological changes across multiple organs and systems, which result in progressive loss of resilience, increased vulnerability to stressors, disease susceptibility, and development of physical and cognitive frailty, disability, and adverse outcomes.
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- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Chapter 40 Why do organisms age?
- Chapter 41 Age-related physiologic declines
- Chapter 42 The emergence of ageing phenotypes and multisystem decline
- Chapter 43 Environment and ageing biology
- Chapter 44 Inflammation and its role in ageing and disease
- Chapter 45 Immune system changes and immunosenescence
- Chapter 46 Mitochondrial decline and chronic conditions of older adults
- Chapter 47 Biological significance of gut microbiota changes associated with ageing
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing