Understanding Human Aging: Definitions, Theories, and Successful Strategies
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Presentation Transcript
Understanding Human Aging Chapter 1
Outline • Definition of aging • Biological theories of aging • Concept of successful aging • Physical activity and successful aging
Definitions of age and the aging process • Chronological age • Biological age • Psychological age • Social age
Chronological age • Length of time or passage of calendar time • Human aging—important to consider a broader perspective
Biological age • Age-related changes in biological or physiological processes • Biological age assessment
Psychological age • Age-related changes in mental or cognitive functioning • assessment of psychological aging
Social age • Social roles and expectations • Assessment
Biological theories of aging • Large number of theories have been proposed • Increasingly likely that aging is not caused by a single mechanism
Biological theories of aging (cont.) • Cellular theories of aging • Genetic theories of aging • Control theories of aging
Cellular theories of aging • Degenerative changes that occur at the microscopic level of analysis • free-radical oxidation • cross-links
Genetic theories of aging • Age-related changes can be attributed to genetic mechanisms • “Hayflick limit” • Telomere
Control theories of aging • Function of specific physiologic systems known to be vital for controlling our bodies’ ability to respond to stressors • T-cell activity • Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) • Immune system
Successful aging • The rate and the extent of functional decline: differences between individuals • Physical activity • Benefits of physical activity for the individual persons • Societal benefits of promoting physically active lifestyles among older person
Key Points • Defining aging requires a broad perspective of chronological, biological, psychological, and social aspects. • Aging is a complex process in which multiple biological mechanisms are acting at the molecular, cellular, and system levels. It makes difficult to identify a single unified theory of biological aging. • Large scientific evidence links physical activity participation to successful aging.