Age peculiarities of the human body and their consideration in medical practice

Abstract

Background. Nowadays, the modern textbooks are abundant with materials on general anatomy and physiology, while the age-related aspects of the body's various organ systems are covered rather briefly. Materials and methods. The study was carried out based on 30 bibliographic sources from the databases: NCBI, PubMed, EMRO. Results. The bone mass and volume decreases in the third decade of life in both sexes and people of all ethnic backgrounds, as this fact manifests itself in osteoporosis and increased risk of fracture. Another process that begins around the age of 30 and progresses throughout life is sarcopenia - a gradual loss of muscle mass and muscle strength. This slight loss of muscle strength puts increased stress on certain joints and can predispose a person to conditions such as arthritis. It was found that with advancing age there is an increase in size airspace. From the age of 50 reduction in supporting tissue results in premature closure of the small airways during normal breathing and can cause air trapping and hyperinflation. The cardiovascular system undergoes changes such as thickening and stiffening of the large arteries even in apparently healthy but older individuals. This process occurs due to the deposition of collagen and calcium, as well as the loss of elastic fibers in the structure of the vessels. The digestive system shows some age-related peculiarities related to the structure of the walls of the organs: the walls of the large intestine atrophy with age, resulting in diverticulosis. Another change is the thinning of the stomach mucus membrane with age, leading to lower levels of mucus, hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes. This reduces protein digestion and can lead to chronic atrophic gastritis. Conclusions. Taking into account the age peculiarities of organ systems is mandatory both in the prevention of diseases and in the adequate treatment of patients.