Aging: What to Expect as you get Older

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Aging: What to expect as you get older. Wonder what's considered a normal part of the aging process? Here's what to expect as you get older — and what to do about it.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Do you expect to find a few more wrinkles and gray hairs each time you look in the mirror? These are just some of the changes you're likely to notice as you get older. You're not necessarily at the mercy of Mother Nature, however. Here's a list of common aging-related changes — and what you can do to promote good health at any age.


Your cardiovascular system -
What's happening. Over time, your heart muscle becomes less efficient — working harder to pump the same amount of blood through your body. In addition, your blood vessels lose some of their elasticity and hardened fatty deposits may form on the inner walls of your arteries (atherosclerosis). These changes make your arteries stiffer, causing your heart to work even harder to pump blood through them. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems.

What you can do about it. To promote heart health, include physical activity in your daily routine. Try walking, swimming or other physical activities. Eat a healthy diet, including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. Your risk of heart disease will begin to fall almost immediately.


Your bones, joints and muscles -
What's happening. With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density — which weakens them and makes them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength and flexibility, and you may become less coordinated or have trouble balancing.

What you can do about it. Include plenty of calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Build bone density with weight-bearing activities, such as walking. Consider strength training at least twice a week, too. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Building muscle also protects your joints from injury and helps you maintain flexibility and balance.


Your digestive system -
What's happening. Constipation is more common in older adults. Many factors can contribute to constipation, including a low-fiber diet, not drinking enough fluids and lack of exercise. Various medications, including diuretics and iron supplements, may contribute to constipation. Certain medical conditions, including diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome, may increase the risk of constipation as well.

What you can do about it. To prevent constipation, drink water and other fluids and eat a healthy diet — including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Don't ignore the urge to have a bowel movement. If you're taking medications that may contribute to constipation, ask your doctor about alternatives.


Your bladder and urinary tract -
What's happening. Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence) is common with aging. Health problems such as obesity, frequent constipation and chronic cough may contribute to incontinence — as can menopause, for women, and an enlarged prostate, for men.

What you can do about it. Urinate more often. If you're overweight, lose excess pounds. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. Pelvic muscle exercises (Kegel exercises) might help, too. Simply tighten your pelvic muscles as if you're stopping your stream of urine. Aim for at least three sets of 10 repetitions a day. If these suggestions don't help, ask your doctor about other treatment options.


Your memory -
What's happening. Memory tends to becomes less efficient with age, as the number of cells (neurons) in the brain decreases. It may take longer to learn new things or remember familiar words or names.

What you can do about it. To keep your memory sharp, include physical activity in your daily routine and eat a healthy diet. It's also helpful to stay mentally and socially active. If you're concerned about memory loss, consult your doctor.


Your eyes and ears -
What's happening. With age, the eyes are less able to produce tears, the retinas thin, and the lenses gradually become less clear. Focusing on objects that are close up may become more difficult. You may become more sensitive to glare and have trouble adapting to different levels of light. Your hearing may dim somewhat as well. You may have difficulty hearing high frequencies or following a conversation in a crowded room.

What you can do about it. Schedule regular vision and hearing exams — then follow your doctor's advice about glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and other corrective devices. To prevent further damage, wear sunglasses when you're outdoors and use earplugs when you're around loud machinery or other loud noises.


Your teeth -
What's happening. Your mouth may begin to feel drier and your gums may pull back (recede) from your teeth. With less saliva to wash away bacteria, your teeth and gums become slightly more vulnerable to decay and infection. Your teeth also may darken slightly and become more brittle and easier to break.

What you can do about it. Brush your teeth twice a day and clean between your teeth — using regular dental floss or an interdental cleaner — once a day. Visit your dentist or dental hygienist for regular dental checkups.


Your skin -
What's happening. With age, your skin thins and becomes less elastic and more fragile. You may notice that you bruise more easily. Decreased production of natural oils may make your skin drier and more wrinkled. Age spots can occur, and small growths called skin tags are more common.

What you can do about it. Bathe in warm — not hot — water, and use mild soap and moisturizer. When you're outdoors, use sunscreen and wear protective clothing. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. Smoking contributes to skin damage, such as wrinkling.


Your weight -
What's happening. Maintaining a healthy weight — or losing weight if you're overweight — is more difficult as you get older. Muscle mass tends to decrease with age, which leads to an increase in fat. Since fat tissue burns fewer calories than does muscle, you may need to reduce the number of calories in your diet or increase your physical activity simply to maintain your current weight.

What you can do about it. To prevent unwanted weight gain, include physical activity in your daily routine and eat a healthy diet. Also keep an eye on portion sizes. You might not need to eat as much as you used to.


Your sexuality -
What's happening. With age, sexual needs, patterns and performance may change. Illness or medication may affect your ability to enjoy sex. For women, vaginal dryness can make sex uncomfortable. For men, impotence may become a concern. It may take longer to get an erection, and erections may not be as firm as they used to be.

What you can do about it. Share your needs and concerns with your partner. You might experiment with different positions or sexual activities. Be open with your doctor, too. He or she may offer specific treatment suggestions — such as estrogen cream for vaginal dryness or oral medication for erectile dysfunction.


Remember, it's never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle. You can't stop the aging process, but you can minimize the impact by making healthy lifestyle choices.

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Reasons Why Unhealthy People Live Long Lives

October 1st, 2012


As a society we have been told over and over again that the key to living a long healthy life is to eat a healthy diet consisting of lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean meats.  In addition to a healthy diet, engaging in a regular regimen of exercise is also advised.  However, scientists have been baffled by the people that beat the aging process and live longer even while indulging in bad habits such as smoking, over-eating and excessive drinking.  How is it that these individuals who live "unhealthy" lives ward off the aging process?  Is it possible that there is something else that dictates how long we live, despite all of our anti-aging efforts?

Are Genes a Factor?

People who defy aging are very rare, making up less than 0.01% of the population.  A study published in The Journal of American Genetics found that two thirds of men that lived to be 100 years old, smoked.  They also found that those that lived to 100 years also drank more and were less likely to exercise than individuals who did not live to 100 years.  The results provide some evidence that lifestyle choices that an individual makes are not necessarily the only things that dictate how long a person will live.  There may be another factor involved in the aging process.

Scientists have been examining the unexplainable aging of these "unhealthy" individuals and have been trying to figure out the key to living a long life. What they have determined, so far, is that the key to beating the aging process may lie in our genes. They have discovered that some of us may have a gene mutation that slows down cellular aging, providing an anti-aging effect.  If scientists are able to identify the specific anti-aging mutation in the genes of individuals that live longer lives despite making unhealthy lifestyle choices, this could possibly benefit society as a whole.  The benefit for society may come in the form of gene therapy for individuals looking for anti-aging remedies during the aging process.

A gene is a short piece of DNA that tells the body which protein to build. Humans have approximately 30,000 genes.  The combination of all of the genes creates the blueprint for the body and all of its functions.  Personal characteristics are determined from single genes as well as combinations of genes. All of the genes in the body make up a person's genotype.

What is Gene Therapy?

Gene therapy is an experimental procedure that uses genes to treat and prevent disease.  Once it is fully developed, gene therapy may allow a doctor to insert genes into a patient's cells instead of using drugs or surgery.  Currently, researchers are testing different ways in which gene therapy may be used as a treatment option.  It may be possible to replace a mutated gene that is causing a disease with a healthy copy of the gene, inactivate a gene that isn't functioning properly, and/or introduce a new gene into the body which will help to fight a disease.

The possibility of utilizing gene therapy for anti-aging reasons is a viable option if scientists are able to identify the specific anti-aging gene in individuals who are living long lives despite living unhealthy lives.

As it turns out, perhaps defeating the aging process may have more to do with genetics than with lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.  However, a combination of good genes and a healthy diet and exercise may provide you with the best anti-aging benefits to live a long and healthy life.