Natural changes happen in the body as we age, such as skin damage from sun exposure, loss of muscle and physical strength, loss of some sight and hearing, as well as changes to our sleep patterns, energy levels and appetite.
Common health conditions associated with ageing
Common conditions in older age include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia.
That's because there are actually two types of aging. Intrinsic aging occurs naturally as we grow older and is largely a product of heredity. Extrinsic aging is based almost entirely on external factors.
That is, where in the body is the aging process most active? They found people tend to fall into one of four biological aging pathways, or ageotypes: immune, kidney, liver or metabolic.
Three stages of aging
The levels of proteins remain constant for a while and then tend to shift in three stages: young adulthood, late middle age and old age.
Oxidative damage. One major theory sees our metabolism as the cause of our aging. According to this theory, aging is a by-product of normal metabolism; no mutations are required. About 2–3% of the oxygen atoms taken up by the mitochondria are reduced insufficiently to reactive oxygen species (ROS).
In broader terms, aging can be broken down into three distinct and often related categories: biological aging, psychological aging, and social aging.
What's happening. With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
Aging is a gradual, continuous process of natural change that begins in early adulthood. During early middle age, many bodily functions begin to gradually decline. People do not become old or elderly at any specific age. Traditionally, age 65 has been designated as the beginning of old age.
The Resveratrol-Lift collection acts on firmness and wrinkles, whereas the Premier Cru collection offers a global corrective action on the 8 signs of ageing: set-in wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, radiance, firmness, elasticity, volume, hydration.
Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It includes the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, learning, and reasoning — and behavioral abilities to the extent that it interferes with a person's quality of life and activities. Memory loss, though common, is not the only sign of dementia.
Beyond that, aging is built into our DNA. And while experts are continuing to explore clever ways to counteract it at a molecular level, through drugs or other therapies, our bodies are never going to be permanent.
For example, the team suggests that the biological aging process isn't steady and appears to accelerate periodically — with the greatest bursts coming, on average, around ages 34, 60, and 78.
You might be surprised to know that your face is not actually the part of your body that ages the fastest. It is, in fact, your breasts. A study, published by the journal Genome Biology has found that breast tissue is the part of the body that's most sensitive to the affects of ageing.
After age 30, people tend to lose lean tissue. Your muscles, liver, kidney, and other organs may lose some of their cells. This process of muscle loss is called atrophy. Bones may lose some of their minerals and become less dense (a condition called osteopenia in the early stages and osteoporosis in the later stages).
Late adulthood spans the time when we reach our mid-sixties until death. This is the longest developmental stage across the lifespan.
As for what determines a person's rate of biological aging, Milman said genes play a role. There are certain "longevity genes" that can help shield people from environmental stressors, to a degree.
Middle Age Adult = 40-59 yrs. Senior Adult = 60+
Fatty foods, high sugar content, lots of alcohol and caffeine, and heavy dairy are the staples of poor nutrition after 70.
According to the United States Social Security Administration, anyone age 65 or older is elderly.