A Look Into Aging Joints And Bones

A Look Into Aging Joints and Bones

Joints suffer an enormous amount of strain throughout our lives. They endure the entire weight of our body and give shape to the hundreds of bones that make up our skeleton. As the years go by, the everyday strain on our joints worsens exponentially. By the age of 30 we start to feel some restriction in our joints, and by the age of 60 their deterioration is significant.

Joints' deterioration has a dramatic impact on our health, and together with other effects of the aging process, it can severely affect our lifestyle and mobility.

As joints age, the cartilage that coats the ends of the bones to prevent friction during movement are worn down. The remaining cartilage cracks in response to dehydration brought on by aging, resulting in joint pain and limited movement.

Similarly, the synovial fluid present in some joints decreases in quality over the years. As the fluid thins down, its buffering effect is reduced, increasing bone friction and resulting in pain of the joint. Flexibility is significantly reduced in joints where synovial fluid is prominent.

The production of collagen and elastin throughout the body suffers a significant decline in joints. Tendons and ligaments made up of these proteins are thereby less flexible and elastic, while calcium deposits and scar tissue growth restrict any flexibility or mobility.

Muscles also decline with age, although they do less so than joints, tendons, and ligaments. As muscles age, the myofiber arrangement within the sarcolemma becomes disorganized as the cells die off.

So as not leave it empty, the body counteracts with a production of connective tissue to replace dying cells. Over time, connective tissue becomes harder to produce, and fat is stored in its replacement.

Myofibers die for several reasons, although medical studies have not yet pinpointed the exact cause of this phenomenon. The most logical hypothesis appeals to nerve functions. As nerves die off, certain areas of the muscle no longer receive information to move or flex. When the muscle "forgets" how to move, it also loses its ability to respond to stimuli. This triggers the myofiber cells to die off, so as not to waste energy in their nourishment. It then replaces them with connective tissue or fat to maintain overall balance of mass.

BONUS : Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain condition that targets the memory functioning centers of the brain. It destroys cognitive abilities and eventually interferes with common daily tasks.

The disease was coined after Dr.Alois Alzheimer, a German physician who first discovered a woman who had died from the disease. Upon autopsying the body, Dr. Alzheimer found what looked like clumps of tissue and knotted fibers. Today, those are the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease.

A type of dementia, Alzheimer's disease affects aging adults but does not represent a typical aspect of aging. Despite the association with insanity, dementia refers to the loss of cognitive abilities that allow us to perform basic daily tasks.

Alzheimer's is known to affect more than 3 million Americans. As the current population of the U.S. ages, it is believed that the number of people with Alzheimer's will reach 30 million by the year 2030. As Alzheimer's affects the aging brain, the incidence of the disease doubles every five years of life past the age of 65.

Alzheimer's is known to begin up to 20 years before any signs of the disease. Once established and noticed, it attacks short term memory, gradually extending to other memory centers of the brain and affecting cognitive skills.

An irreversible condition, Alzheimer's disease is impossible to cure or prevent. Once established, it disrupts the fuction of brain cells and diminishes their ability to interact. Cells become scrambled and fibers mixed up, and communication between brain areas is lost.

The first signs of Alzheimer's disease usually appear around the age of 60. It mainly affects men, but is also prominent in women.