Human gait inevitably deteriorates with “physiologic” aging as well as age-related pathologic conditions particularly in the older adults. However, some of them maintain relatively normal gait pattern well into their 80s. The existence of “successful aging” group in terms of gait performance suggests that senile gait is no more a consequence of aging alone. Here, we discuss age-related change of gait to characterize gait in the elderly, and briefly review the classification system of gait disorders in the elderly.
Adult ; Aged* ; Aging ; Classification ; Gait* ; Humans ; Pathology

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma/*pathology ; *Aging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Stomach Neoplasms/*pathology

With the arrival of the era of global population aging, we strive for healthy aging and a healthy senior life rather than simple prolongation of the physical age. For the past 50 years, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been the most common cause of death among the elderly people globally. In China, there has been an exponential increase in the incidence of heart disease and stroke in the elderly population. Atherosclerosis is the pathological change in the coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Despite the significant benefit demonstrated, control of classic risk factors alone, such as lifestyle change or drug therapy, was shown to have limitations in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events. Vascular aging has been shown to be an important independent predictor of CVD events. Interventions targeting vascular aging have emerged as a new paradigm in conjunction with control of risk factors for the prevention of CVD. Vascular aging and atherosclerosis are two distinct pathological changes and difficult to distinguish clinically. Recent research with Chinese medicine (CM) has shown encouraging observations, linking the clinical benefit of delaying vascular aging and treating atherosclerosis. These results demonstrate great potential of CM in the prevention and treatment of CVD.
Aging ; pathology ; Atherosclerosis ; therapy ; Blood Vessels ; pathology ; Humans ; Risk Factors

Audiovisual integration is a vital information process involved in cognition and is closely correlated with aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this review, we evaluated the altered audiovisual integrative behavioral symptoms in AD. We further analyzed the relationships between AD pathologies and audiovisual integration alterations bidirectionally and suggested the possible mechanisms of audiovisual integration alterations underlying AD, including the imbalance between energy demand and supply, activity-dependent degeneration, disrupted brain networks, and cognitive resource overloading. Then, based on the clinical characteristics including electrophysiological and imaging data related to audiovisual integration, we emphasized the value of audiovisual integration alterations as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and progression of AD. We also highlighted that treatments targeted audiovisual integration contributed to widespread pathological improvements in AD animal models and cognitive improvements in AD patients. Moreover, investigation into audiovisual integration alterations in AD also provided new insights and comprehension about sensory information processes.
Animals ; Humans ; Alzheimer Disease/pathology* ; Brain/pathology* ; Aging/physiology* ; Cognition

Our previous studies proposed that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a metabolic disorder and hypothesized that abnormal brain glucose metabolism inducing multiple pathophysiological cascades contributes to AD pathogenesis. Aging is one of the great significant risk factors for AD. Membrane aging is first prone to affect the function and structure of the brain by impairing glucose metabolism. We presume that risk factors of AD, including genetic factors (e.g., the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele and genetic mutations) and non-genetic factors (such as fat, diabetes, and cardiac failure) accelerate biomembrane aging and lead to the onset and development of the disease. In this review, we further modify our previous hypothesis to demonstrate "membrane aging" as an initial pathogenic factor that results in functional and structural alterations of membranes and, consequently, glucose hypometabolism and multiple pathophysiological cascades.
Aging ; pathology ; Alzheimer Disease ; etiology ; pathology ; Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; Cell Membrane ; pathology ; Humans

Cell aging is an extremely complex process, which is characterized by mitochondrial structural dysfunction, telomere shortening, inflammatory microenvironment, protein homeostasis imbalance, epigenetic changes, abnormal DNA damage and repair, etc. Aging is usually accompanied by structural and functional damage of tissues and organs which further induces the occurrence and development of aging-related diseases. Aging includes physiological aging caused by increased age and pathological aging induced by a variety of factors. Noteworthy, as a target organ directly contacting with the outside air, lung is more prone to various stimuli, causing pathological premature aging which is lung aging. Studies have found that there is a certain proportion of senescent cells in the lungs of most chronic respiratory diseases. However, the underlying mechanism by which these senescent cells induce lung senescence and their role in chronic respiratory diseases is still obscure. This paper focuses on the causes and classification of lung aging, the internal mechanism of lung aging involved in chronic respiratory diseases, and the application of anti-aging treatments in chronic respiratory diseases. We hope to provide new research ideas and theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment in chronic respiratory diseases.
Aging/pathology* ; Cellular Senescence ; Humans ; Lung/pathology* ; Lung Diseases/pathology* ; Respiration Disorders/pathology* ; Telomere ; Telomere Shortening

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree of contrast enhancement of normal bone marrow in L-spine relating to aging and to determine the range of contrast enhancement in normal bone marrow. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed a total of 120 patients (20 per decade) who had undergone lumbar spinal MRI and who ranged in age from the 2nd decade to more than the 7th. Bone marrow revealed no abonormal pathology. Sagittal T1-weighted spin echo sequences were obtained before and after gadolinium administration. For each sequence, a region of interest was drawn within the L1 vertebral body from the midsagittal slice. Signal intensity (SI) values of each sequence were ascertained and the percentage increase in SI was calculated . RESULTS: After contrast enhancement, lumbar MRI revealed no statistically significant in the percentage increase in SI of normal bone marrow in relation to aging. Most patients (99 %) however showed an SI increase of between 10 % and 49 %. In only four, none of whom were aged over 40, was this increase above 50%. CONCLUSION: Lumbar MRI, revealed no statistically significant difference in percentage increase in SI in normal bone marrow relating to aging, but when the increase is above 50 % in a patient aged over 40, bone marrow pathology should be further investigated.
Aging ; Bone Marrow* ; Gadolinium ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pathology

PURPOSE: Although retractile testes are frequently found in the pediatric population, there are controversies in the management of retractile testes. We investigated the necessity of treatment for retractile testes by analyzing their histologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-one testicular biopsies were performed during orchiopexy from 36 boys(range: 1.3-12.9 years, mean: 5.4 years) with retractile testes(11 unilateral, 50 bilateral) and 115 testicular biopsies from 83 cryptorchid patients(range: 0.6-15.0 years, mean: 3.7 years, 51 unilateral, 64 bilateral). Parameters for both Sertoli cell and germ cell were determined in each group. RESULTS: The average tubular degeneration phase(TDP) V-VII were 0.23+/-0.18 for retractile testes and 0.22+/-0.17 for cryptorchid testes and were not statistically different. Both the average sertoli cell index(SCI) and mean spermatogonia per tubules(S/T) value were statistically different between retractile and cryptrochid testes with values of 26.81+/-6.75, 23.04+/-5.85(p<0.01) and 2.96+/-1.33, 0.61+/-0.87(p<0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although S/T value of retractile testes was higher than that of cryptorchid testes, Sertoli cell degenerative patterns were similar. These findings might indicate that retractile testis needs treatment like cryptorchid testis does. However, further investigation is warranted to elucidate whether these changes are normal variations since changes are observed in both Sertoli & germ cells in normal boys as they are aging.
Aging ; Biopsy ; Germ Cells ; Orchiopexy ; Pathology ; Spermatogonia ; Testis*

OBJECTIVE: We could measure diameters of lacrimal sac and surrounding bone thickness of normal Korean with accurate data by using orbital CT. METHODS: We measured the lacrimal sac, surrounding bone thickness, and frequency of Haller cell with thin-section computed tomography examinations in 115 normal Korean orbits with no signs of pathology related to the lacrimal drainage system for 1999 to 2001. RESULTS: The mean length of lacrimal sac was 10.45+/-1.96 mm, A-P width was 5.96+/-1.26 mm, L-R width was 3.72+/-0.92 mm. The surrounding bone thickness of upper portion of lacrimal sac was 6.46+/-1.40 mm, middle portion was 3.24+/-1.11 mm, lower portion was 0.78+/-0.23 mm. The frequency of Haller cell was 13.9%. The diameters of lacrimal sac and surrounding bone thickness were larger in males than females, and increasing tendency with aging. CONCLUSION: In this study, Korean lacrimal sac size was slightly smaller than the caucasian and Korean male's surrounding bone thickness was thicker than female. These data will be very helpful in making appropriate osteotomy by using the drill during dacryocystorhinostomy and avoiding unnecessary manipulation.
Aging ; Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orbit ; Osteotomy ; Pathology

Aging is a major risk factor for many human diseases, including cognitive impairment, which affects a large population of the elderly. In the past few decades, our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the changes associated with aging and age-related diseases has expanded greatly, shedding light on the potential role of these changes in cognitive impairment. In this article, we review recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms underlying brain aging under normal and pathological conditions, compare their similarities and differences, discuss the causative and adaptive mechanisms of brain aging, and finally attempt to find some rules to guide us on how to promote healthy aging and prevent age-related diseases.
Humans ; Aged ; Aging/pathology* ; Brain ; Cognitive Dysfunction ; Risk Factors