Physiology of Geriatrics

The aging population is growing and life expectancy is prolonged. The elderly population is able to enjoy prolonged life with good management of their chronic conditions. Many elderly do not have medical conditions but we still see a decline in their organ function and physiologic reserve that weighs in on their daily living. As well these changes in anatomy, physiology and chemistry puts them at risk of developing medical conditions and experience adverse outcomes during surgery and anesthesia. The central nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic and renal systems all work together and are affected as a whole with aging causing physiologic changes but also compensatory mechanisms. In this review we will study the aging physiology of the body and touch on its implications in anesthesia. This review contains 5 figures, 3 tables, and 55 references. Keywords: Healthy aging, age-related changes, Postoperative cognitive dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, vascular stiffening, ventricular arterial coupling, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Spirometry, Glomerular Filtration Rate, hallmarks of aging