Author: Cici Zhang
Editors: Kevin Yao, Suri Liu
Artist: Emily Tai
Geriatrics is a special branch of medicine related to gerontology. It involves caring for and investigating the sicknesses of the elderly and treatment of aged persons, mainly those problems of their physical health that develop as a result of the aging process. This discipline principally researches the biological pathways leading to the development of such age-related diseases as cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, osteoporosis, and muscle degeneration. Geriatricians are specially trained for this kind of work, as older individuals, very often, suffer from multiple comorbidities. Ultimately, geriatrics plays a crucial role in improving life quality for elders by addressing health challenges and research on age-related diseases.
Geriatrics treats related pathologies and different physiology of the aging body, including slower metabolism, reduced renal and hepatic functions, and weakened immune responses. Polypharmacy is also considered within geriatrics when aged individuals take several medicines for a variety of ailments; this can create problems in terms of interactions between these drugs and drug metabolism because aged bodies metabolize drugs differently. A geriatrician has to be aware of pharmacokinetics, which examines body interactions with the prescribed substance over time, and pharmacodynamics, which observes the molecular, biochemical, and physiological effects of drugs in older adults. This knowledge is essential for adjusting medical dosages and preventing side effects.
The other vital scientific component of geriatrics is that attention is specifically focused on frailty and functional decline. Frailty is a clinical condition characterized by reduced strength, endurance, and physiological function. It is an important predictor of adverse health outcomes, and its study combines many disciplines, including physiology, biomechanics, and nutrition.
In contrast, the interdisciplinary study of aging gerontology embraces important scientific components. Gerontology has social and psychological components; however, its scientific core is biogerontology, the study of the biological basis of aging. Biogerontology researches cellular aging, molecular damage, and genetic regulation of longevity. One major research focus in cellular biology is telomeres, the protective caps on the end of chromosomes that shorten with a cell division. Telomere shortening is related to cellular senescence, a loss in the capabilities of cellular division and functionality, hence affecting aging. Additionally, mitochondrial malfunction involves age-related 'wear and tear' of the powerhouse of the cell, which results in a decline in energy production coupled with increased oxidative stress. This mitochondrial decline is associated with many use-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative disease and metabolic disorders.
Gerontology studies the influence of epigenetics on aging, paying particular attention to how changes in gene expression, rather than changes in genetic coding, could affect aging processes. Epigenetic changes reflect influences from life factors such as nutrition, exercise, and stress and may impact longevity and health. Consequently, regulating epigenetic markers would result in the development of medicines to prevent or delay age-related diseases.
Other significant areas of gerontological study concern the role of inflammation in the aging process, also known as inflammaging. Chronic low-grade inflammation is the cause of many age-related diseases such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers strive for healthy aging by studying molecular pathways such as the NF-kB, a protein complex that regulates immunity and inflammation, aiming to reduce inflammation.
Longevity research has taken on a new importance in both geriatrics and gerontology. The research focuses on factors involved in leading healthier and longer lives, such as calorie restriction, physical exercise, and pharmaceutical medicines like senolytics, which target and eliminate senescent cells accrued with age, which lead to tissue dysfunction.
Simply put, geriatrics is the clinical and medical art of aging that treats age-related diseases and problems. On the other hand, gerontology is a wider approach that is more research-based-dealing with the biological, genetic, and molecular causes of aging. Together, these disciplines impact healthcare by enhancing the understanding of the aging process and improving treatment strategies, resulting in a better health outcome and life quality.
Citations:
Ferrucci, L., & Fabbri, E. (2018). Inflammageing: chronic inflammation in ageing,
cardiovascular disease, and frailty. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 15(9), 505–522.
Grogan, S., & Preuss, C. V. (2023, July 30). Pharmacokinetics. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557744/#:~:text=Pharmacokinetics%20(PK)
Marino, M., Jamal, Z., & Zito, P. M. (2023, January 29). Pharmacodynamics. StatPearls - NCBI
Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507791/#:~:text=
Pharmacodynamics%20is%20the%20study%20of,%2C%22%20meaning%20%
National Academies Press (US). (1987). Principles of Gerontology. Aging in Today’s
Environment - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218728/
Oxidative stress, aging, and diseases. (2018, April 26). PubMed Central. Retrieved September
23, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5927356/
Thomas, T., Nadackal, T. G., & Thomas, K. (2001). Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs inhibit amyloid-β aggregation. Neuroreport, 12(15), 3263–3267.
What is Geriatrics? (n.d.). Mount Sinai Health System.
https://www.mountsinai.org/care/geriatrics/what-is#:~:text=Geriatrics%20is%20
World Health Organization: WHO. (2022, October 1). Ageing and health.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health#:~:text=
Comments