PHYSIOLOGICAL

CHANGES IN
AGING
AFFECTING
VARIOUS SYSTEM

Prepared by: Group 1

INTRODUCTIO
N:
❑ A number of physiological changes occur as we grow older.

❑ Some of the common changes are the result of disease.

PAGE 01
 BODY BODY
CONFORMATION CONTENT
✓ The height falls after the age of 50
✓ Male weight tend to increase till late 50 and then decline
✓ Nose and ears continue to grow in length
✓ Female weight tend to increase till 60 and then decline

✓ Changes in total body weight vary in men and women

✓ Total body water male: YOUNG 60% to elderly 54%

✓ Total body water female: young 52% to elderly 46%

PAGE 02

PAGE 03
 CARDIOVASCULAR CONTINUATION…
SYSTEM • The cardiac output decreases

• The aorta and other arteries become thicker and stiffer

❑ Heart disease is the leading cause of death of elderly
which may bring a moderate increase in systolic blood
pressure with aging. In some individuals, this may result
❑ The size of heart increases in old age. in hypertension.

• The valves between the chambers of the heart

❑ Despite slight increase in heart size, the amount oof blood the
thicken and become stiffer due to the deposition of
calcium and collagen.
chamber can hold actually decreases because the heart wall
• Blood flow to the kidneys may decrease by 50
thickening. percent and to the brain by 15 to 20 percent .

❑ The maximum heart rate decreases. • The baroreceptors which monitor and adjust the
blood pressure when we change position become
less sensitive with aging.

• This can cause orthostatic hypotension.

PAGE 04

PAGE 05
 HEALTH RESPIRATORY
PROMOTION SYSTEM
STRATEGIES ❑ Lungs become more rigid and stiffer

❑ Regular exercise and activities ❑ Muscles of the chest wall becomes weak.

❑ Eat low fat diet, low salt diet ❑ Pulmonary function decreases. The

❑ Participate in stress reduction alveoli within the lungs enlarge and

activities becomes thinner, increasing the amount

❑ Check blood pressure regularly. of autonomic dead space.

❑ The number of cilia decline in number as

age grows.
PAGE 06

PAGE 07
 Continuation…

❑ Vital capacity declines

❑ Reduction in respiratory field

❑ Cough efficiency decreases.

GASTROINTESTINAL
SYSTEM Continuation…
LIVER:
❑ Reduced GI secretions
❑ Reduced blood flow
❑ Reduced GI motility
❑ Altered clearance of some drugs
❑ Fall of teeth is an obvious sign of aging
PAGE 08

PAGE 09
❑ Decreased weight of liver
❑ Delayed gastric emptying
❑ Reduced regenerative capacity of liver
 ❑ Liver metabolizes less efficiently.
CONTINUATION…
INTESTINE:

✓ Some enzymes, such as lactase which aids the digestion of

✓ As we grow old, the small intestine absorb less calcium and

lactose ( a sugar found in diary products) decline with age.

vitamin D.

✓ Reduced peristalsis of colon can increase risk for

✓ Therefore, we need more calcium to prevent bone mineral loss

constipation.
and osteoporosis in later life.
PAGE 10

PAGE 11
 CONTINUATION… HEALTH
PROMOTION
❑ The sensitivity of the taste buds decrease
STRATEGIES
altering pleasure in eating.
✓ High Dietary Fiber Intake

❑ They may also lose the ability to

✓ Receive regular dental care

differentiate sour, salty and bitter taste.

✓ Increase fluid intake at least

❑ There is decreased salivation, so there is

2L of water daily unless

difficulty in swallowing food.

contraindicated (e.g., cardiac &

❑ Reduced gastrointestinal motility results in

renal disease where fluid intake

delayed emptying of stomach contents and

requires restriction)

early satisfaction ( feeling of fullness).

✓ Maintain bowel habit
PAGE 12

PAGE 13
 INTEGUMENTARY Continuation…
SYSTEM ❑ The most common changes in the skin include:

❑ One of the most common physical changes that people

✓ Thinning of the area between the dermis and epidermis

associates with aging is

( due to decrease in epidermal proliferation)

✓ Wrinkling
✓ Elastic fibers are reduced in number

✓ Pigmentation alternation
✓ Collagen become stiffer

✓ Thinning of the skin

✓ Subcutaneous fat diminishes.

✓ The decrease in number of capillaries in the skin results

diminished blood supply.

✓ The skin less able to retain and is more easily dry and
PAGE 14

PAGE 15
cracked.
 ✓ As, a result both the thickness and elasticity of the skin HAIR

decrease. ✓ becomes gray because of gradual decrease in production of

✓ Therefore, sunscreens and moisturizing creams plays in melanin, the pigment cells in the hair bulbs.

important part in protecting the skin. ✓ The graying of hair is also influenced by heredity and

hormones
PAGE 16

PAGE 17
 HEALTH PROMOTION
✓ There are also fewer hair follicles on the scalp and the growth STRATEGIES
rate of hair decreases in the scalp, armpits, pubic areas. ✓ Avoid solar exposure ( clothing, sunscreen, stay

However, hair growth actually accelerates and thickens in indoors).

places like nostrils, ear and eyebrows, especially in men. ✓ Dress appropriately for temperature

✓ Older women often have an increase in facial hair as their ✓ Maintain a safe indoor temperature

estrogen levels decrease. ✓ Lubricate skin.

GENITOURINARY
SYSTEM
❑ After 40 renal function decreased.

❑ By 90, we lose 50% of function.

PAGE 18

PAGE 19
❑ Filtration and reabsorption is decreased

❑ Size and number of nephron decreases.

 ❑ With aging, there is a reduced hormonal response

(vasopressin) and an impaired ability to conserve salt which

may increase risk for dehydration.

❑ These changes increase the chances of urinary infections,

incontinence, and urinary obstruction.

Continuation…
❑ Bladder muscles weaken
❑ In male, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is more

❑ Kidney mass decreases by 25-30 percent and the number of

common.

glomeruli decreases by 30 to 40 percent

❑ In females, perineal muscles relax, there is urge

❑ These changes reduce the ability to filter and concentrate

PAGE 20

PAGE 21
incontinence and stress urinary incontinence.

urine and to clear drugs.

 HEALTH PROMOTION REPRODUCTIVE
STRATEGIES SYSTEM
❑ Seek referral to urology specialist Male:

❑ Have ready access to diet ❑ Reduced testosterone level

❑ Wear easily manipulated clothing ❑ Size of the testis and penis decrease

❑ Drink adequate fluids ❑ Decrease in sperm condition

❑ Avoid bladder irritants ( caffeinated beverages, alcohol) ❑ Seminal fluid decrease and

❑ Pelvic floor exercises. becomes more viscous

❑ Erection dysfunction may occur.

PAGE 22

PAGE 23
 Musculoskeletal
Female: System
❑ Estrogen and progesterone levels declines ❑ By the time of age 80, most of loose an average height of

❑ Ovulation ceases about 2 inches.

❑ Uterus shrinks

❑ Breast become pendulous and lose elasticity.

Continuation…

❑ Primary factors contributing to this reduction in height

include
PAGE 24

PAGE 25
✓ Compression of vertebrae

✓ changes in posture.
 ✓ result of reductions in activity and changes in eating rather
✓ and increased curvature of hips and knees.
than aging itself.

✓ Bone mineral content diminished.

✓ As age increase, muscles generally decrease in strength,

endurance, size, weight.

✓ Typically, 23 percent of muscle mass is decreased, by age

80, both the number and size of muscles fibers decrease.

Continuation…
✓ Body fats mass can double, lean muscle mass is lost.

✓ Weight increases until about age 60 and then declines

✓ This pattern of weight change is more likely the

HEALTH PROMOTION
PAGE 26

PAGE 27
STRATEGIES
 Nervous
❑ Exercise regularly System
❑ Take calcium and vitamin D supplements. ❑ Neurons of central and peripheral nervous system

❑ Encourage use of assistive devices if indicated degenerate

❑ Modify environment to reduce fall risk ❑ Loss of brain mass

❑ Encourage activity-take walks etc. ❑ Synthesis and metabolism of the major

neurotransmitters are reduced.

PAGE 28

PAGE 29
 HEALTH PROMOTION
✓ Nerve transmission slow so, older people take longer period STRATEGIES
to respond and react. ❑ Allow longer time to respond to stimulus and move more

✓ Hypothalamus becomes less effective in regulating body deliberately

temperature. ❑ Encourage slow rising from a resting position.

✓ Deep sleep decrease

✓ After 50 yrs. one loses 1% of neurons each year.

PAGE 30

PAGE 31
 SENSORY
SYSTEM
✓ Sensitivity to glare increases

VISION:
✓ Night and depth vision decreases

✓ Visual impairment is the most common sensory problem of

✓ Eyelids become baggy and wrinkled

older adult.
✓ Conjunctiva becomes thin and yellow.

✓ Not all older people have impaired vision

✓ Lens enlarges

✓ Loss of ability to see items that are close up begins

✓ Lens becomes transparent

in the 40’s.
✓ Can actually become clouded

✓ Size of the pupils grows smaller with age focusing becomes

✓ Results in cataracts.

less accurate
Continuation..
PAGE 32

PAGE 33
✓ Lens of the eye yellows making it more difficult to see

red and green colors.

 ✓ Quantity of tears decreases.
HEARING
✓ About 95% of individuals age 65 and older report needing
❑ Hearing loss is very common with aging.
glasses to improve their vision.
❑ Auditory changes begin to be noticed at about 40 years
HEALTH PROMOTION
STRATEGIES of age.

❑ Membranes in the middle of the ear, including the

❑ Wear eyeglasses, use sunglasses outdoors eardrum, becomes less flexible with age.

❑ Avoid abrupt changes from dark to light ❑ In addition, the small bones in the middle ear, the

❑ Use large print books

ossicles, become stiffer.

❑ Avoid night driving ❑ Both these factors somewhat decrease hearing

❑ Avoid glare of shiny surfaces and direct sunlight.

sensitivity but are not thought to cause significant
PAGE 34

PAGE 35
impairment.
 ❑ The vestibular apparatus begins to degenerate with age.
SMELL
❑ Equilibrium becomes compromised and older individuals
❑ The number of functioning smell receptors decreases.
may complain of dizziness and lose their balance.
❑ After the age 50 the sense of smell decreases rapidly.

❑ By age 80, the sense of smell is reduced by about half.

HEALTH PROMOTION
STRATEGIES
❑ Recommend a hearing examination
TASTE
❑ Reduce background noises

❑ Taste also diminishes with age

❑ Encourage to face person and use non verbal cues
PAGE 36

PAGE 37
❑ Some atrophy of the tongue occurs with age and this
❑ Speak with a low pitched voice

❑ Use of hearing aids. may diminish sensitivity to taste.

 IMMUNE
 
SYSTEM
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE IMMUNE
WHAT DOES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM SYSTEMS AS WE AGE?
DO?
❑ Protects the body against infections and diseases ❑ Decrease in B and T cells functioning

❑ Regulates wound healing ❑ Decrease in numbers of naïve B and T cells

❑ Fatty marrow replaced red bone marrow ❑ Impaired responses to vaccines

❑ As we grow older, our bodies are less able to produced ❑ Higher susceptibility to infections, cancer, and diseases.

antibodies which are important in fighting infections.

❑ As a result older adults are at high risk for infections and the ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM
mortality rate from infection is much higher than in the young.
❑ Estrogen levels decrease in women
❑ Other hormonal decreases include testosterone,
PAGE 38

PAGE 39
aldosterone, cortisol and progesterone.
THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING..