Molecular and biological hallmarks of ageing

Abstract

Background: Ageing is the inevitable time-dependent decline in physiological organ function that eventually leads to death. Age is a major risk factor for many of the most common medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. This study reviews currently known hallmarks of ageing and their clinical implications.Methods: A literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE was conducted covering the last decade. Results: Average life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past century and is estimated to increase even further. Maximum longevity, however, appears unchanged, suggesting a universal limitation to the human organism. Understanding the underlying molecular processes of ageing and health decline may suggest interventions that, if used at an early age, can prevent, delay, alleviate or even reverse age-related diseases. Hallmarks of ageing can be grouped into three main categories. The primary hallmarks cause damage to cellular functions: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations and loss of proteostasis. These are followed by antagonistic responses to such damage: deregulated nutrient sensing, altered mitochondrial function and cellular senescence. Finally, integrative hallmarks are possible culprits of the clinical phenotype (stem cell exhaustion and altered intercellular communication), which ultimately contribute to the clinical effects of ageing as seen in physiological loss of reserve, organ decline and reduced function. Conclusion:The sum of these molecular hallmarks produces the clinical picture of the elderly surgical patient: frailty, sarcopenia, anaemia, poor nutrition and a blunted immune response system. Improved understanding of the ageing processes may give rise to new biomarkers of risk or prognosis, novel treatment targets and translational approaches across disciplines that may improve outcomes.

Effects of Diet on Telomere Length: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Therefore, telomere length and its shortening may be associated with a lower life expectancy [18]. Diet exposure is considered a complex process inherent to the human condition, in which time is a relevant factor.…”

CIAFIS – Congresso Internacional de Atividade Física, Nutrição e Saúde

“…Desse modo, mesmo considerando que com o avanço da idade, o organismo apresenta algumas disfunções inorgânicas advindas do processo de envelhecimento (Aunan et al, 2016), considerase que o fato de não precisar de medicamentos ou a redução do uso destes, possa se configurar como um dos pontos de observação na melhora da percepção de qualidade de vida em idosas, sobretudo quando estas são de regiões socioeconômicas menos abastadas, pois, o gasto com medicamentos pode se configurar como um dos problemas no equilíbrio da renda nestas populações.…”

“…Considerando este quadro, do ponto de vista das políticas públicas voltadas à atenção à população idosa, este processo de envelhecimento pode ser atenuado individualmente, pela adoção de hábitos saudáveis e, no plano social ou coletivo, através da oferta de politicas e serviços que atendam as demandas da população idosa e favoreçam uma melhor qualidade de vida (Souza Minayo, 2012;Aunan, Watson, Hagland, & Søreide;Camões et al, 2016).…”

Management of Intra-Abdominal Infections

“…Core to the associated poor outcomes is the reduced physiological reserve and limited response to any minor or major stressor that comes with age [40] and which is summarized in the concept of "frailty" [41]. While frailty can be readily defined [41,42], it is difficult to measure in the emergency setting, although attempted by several recent approximated measures [43][44][45][46].…”