Aging: What to Expect
Most of our lives hit peak between 20 and 30 and gradually decline after that. For example, as we age,
Immune System[25]
One of the most recognized consequences of aging is a decline in immune function, illustrated by vulnerability to dying from the flu and poor response to vaccinations.
Inflamm-aging
About 20 years ago, a paper was published showing that the immune cells of 80-year olds produced significantly more pro-inflammatory signals, suggesting the worst of both worlds, a decline in the part of the immune system that fights specific infections, and an aggravation of nonspecific overreactions that can lead to inflammation.
This has since been formalized in a concept referred to as “inflamm-aging,” a chronic low-grade inflammation we now know is typical of aging, which may be responsible for the decline and the onset of disease in the elderly.
Cardiovascular System
We lose some blood-sugar tolerance
This may lead to nerve damage, kidney damage, eye disease, heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes[5].
Atrial fibrillation—an irregular heartbeat that develops in the atria—occurs most often in people older than 60.
Our blood pressure rises
Our cholesterol levels worsen
- Metabolism
We don't eliminate drugs as quickly from our systems as younger people do
This can cause drugs to build up to toxic levels
We lose aerobic capacity
By age 65, the average American has lost 30 to 40 % of his or her aerobic capacity.
This may lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, impaired relaxation of blood vessels, insulin resistance, impaired cardiac pumping ability, and elevated triglyceride and free fatty acid levels in the blood[6].
Our basal metabolic rate slows down
This may lead to sluggishness, depression, menstrual irregularities, inability to tolerate cold temperatures, weakness, hair loss and reproductive failure[4].
Our ability to stabilize internal body temperature is impaired
This requires us to protect against exposure to extreme temperature levels
- Musculoskeletal System
As our heart muscles get older, they grow thicker[17]
The thickened heart can still pump blood out normally, but it can't relax enough to refill between pumps.
The condition is called diastolic heart failure, named after the heart's resting, or diastolic, phase.
Foot or leg cramps tend to happen more frequently[32]
While they can be uncomfortable, they are rarely harmful
We lose muscle mass and become weaker
Average American begins to lose 6.6 pounds of muscle with each decade after young adulthood and the rate of muscle loss accelerates as they get older, particularly after age 45.
This makes muscles less responsive in our 60s than they were in our 20s
Our bone density decreases
Much of a female's bone mass is built between the ages of 12 and 22 and then slowly lost in the remaining decades of her life
Peak bone mass occurs at age 35[2]
Osteoporosis can develop in both women and men
See [15] for how to build strong bones
Our height progressively decreases
The average height loss is about 0.4 inches for every 10 years after age 40.
Our cartilage, which provides cushioning between bones, begins to break down
Joints can become inflamed and arthritic
The older you get, the more noise your joints can make. However, as long as it’s not painful, joint noise is OK.[23]
Our handgrip strength decreases
This make us more difficult to accomplish routine activities such as opening a jar or turning a key
- Nervous System
We lose some of the coating of nerve cells
This can slow the speed of message transmission
Our nerve cell mass is lost and nerve cells decrease in number
This may cause the spinal cord and brain to atrophy
Our brain normally can shrink up to 15% to 26% as it ages[1,24]
A change linked to dementia, poor memory and depression
In the age range of 16-80 years, whole brain volume slowly but steadily declined so that in those aged 71-80 years, it had dropped by 26% and was smaller than that of healthy 2- or 3-year-old children.
- Senses
We lose some taste buds about age 40 in women and starting at 50 in men
This can cause the decrease in taste sensitivity
Our visual acuity begins to decline in 40s
Our sense of smell may diminish, especially after age 70
Our hearing acuity decline slightly beginning about age 50
- Miscellaneous
There is a measurable decline in testosterone – and other male hormones – that actually begins as early as the 30’s[18]
But a man with a truly abnormal testosterone level will usually have severe symptoms – and that situation is pretty uncommon
With age, PSA normally rises over time, even without any known problem[19]
Our skin wrinkles because two components of our skin — collagen and elastin — degenerate
By your mid-20s, the collagen in your body starts to diminish, and by the time you reach your 80s, you have around four times less collagen
Getting old gives you itchy skin
Past studies have shown that Merkel cells in the skin are reduced in elderly people and people with dry skin conditions.[28]
We bruise easily with age[16]. As we get older, several factors can contribute to easy bruising, including:
Aging capillaries
Thinning skin
Studies show that, every ten years, your body's production of enzymes decreases by 13 percent starting from 20's.[22]
Our stomach produces less acid after age 50
This makes us more difficult to absorb vitamin B12 found naturally in food
About 10 to 30 % of people over the age of 50 have atrophic gastritis
We will struggle to get good night's sleep as we get older[27]
Aging results in a significant reduction in sensitivity to light in the part of the brain that controls circadian rhythms
We will have an increase in nighttime voiding as we age
But most people after the age of 60 rarely get up more than twice a night, so more than that can be related to an overall indication of your health.[30]
There is good news and bad news on aging. The bad news is there is no "quick fix" or magic bullet when it comes to aging well. "Generally speaking, the better you treat your body throughout your life, the better your aging experience will be," said Dr. Mercola.[12] For example, a lifestyle that includes exercise and a well-balanced diet will slow or minimize many problems related to aging. The good news is later life tends to be a golden age, according to psychologists. Most people get happier as they grow older[3]. According to University of California psychologist Dr Susan Turk Charles, mental wellbeing generally improved with age, except for people with dementia-related ill health.