What kind of science is gerontology about beauty and health? Advice from gerontologists on how to prolong life. The influence of social aspects in gerontology

As long as people live, they try to find the elixir of immortality and the pill of longevity. Sooner or later, everyone (and women, as a rule, before men) think about what to do to stop aging, or at least delay this process a little.

Many try to regain youth in the office of a cosmetologist or alternative medicine specialist, others through sports and a healthy lifestyle. The Internet is full of offers and “recipes” for instant and short-term rejuvenation, which, alas, are just a way to make money from gullible citizens. However, not everyone knows that there is an officially recognized science of gerontology, which studies the aging process. And if gerontologists have not yet managed to turn back the clock, then they already know how to slow down the aging process.

Evgeniy Tarlanovich, absolutely every person does not want to grow old, look bad, and do not want to die at all. But, first of all, we run to cosmetologists when we want to correct something, then to doctors when something begins to seriously bother us, and many are completely unaware that aging can be approached from a scientific point of view. What is gerontology?

Not everyone knows what this science does. Moreover, many have never even heard such a word. The fact that few people know about her, especially in Kazakhstan, is quite sad and wild. Meanwhile, gerontology is a classical science that is more than 130 years old.

We are studying the causes and processes of aging, trying to find ways to extend human life and what we call rejuvenation. Unfortunately, due to ignorance, people most often turn to the wrong specialists.

The term “rejuvenation” itself is actively used by cosmetologists, but what they offer is mistakenly called rejuvenation. All procedures offered by cosmetologists are not anti-aging, because they only affect the skin. Yes, we have the largest organ in the body - the skin, but even if we improve the condition of this organ in terms of parameters age-related changes- not rejuvenation. The skin will be externally rejuvenated, but the condition of the internal organs will remain the same, and after some time everything will return to normal, and you will have to go to the cosmetologist again.

The industry suggests using anti-aging creams and even drinking drinks with “liquid collagen” to restore youthful skin. Alas, these are all fairy tales for gullible ordinary people; collagen is not absorbed by the body and disintegrates in the gastrointestinal tract. And if collagen is rubbed into the skin along with cream, it, alas, does not reach the germ layer. All these methods simply do not work. This is not rejuvenation.

The same goes for moisturizers. Yes, of course, the problem with the skin and our tissues is that with age they lose moisture and the ability to retain water. This, of course, affects the condition of the skin - it becomes drier, elasticity disappears, and wrinkles appear. But we're talking about not about simple water, but about bound water - this is not just H2O inside the fabric, it is water that is connected by valence bonds to molecules - proteins, fats... That is, taking water, wet your hands, spread cream and, thereby, moisturize - will not work ... The effect will last at most until the next use.

Gerontology offers a comprehensive view of aging from the perspective of science, and today there are developments that give results, although not yet as radical as we would like, but methods to slow down the aging process and rejuvenate you a little have already been found. But, alas, few people know about this.

Why do we start to age and what triggers this mechanism?

In gerontology there are many theories that talk about the causes of aging and when it begins. But there is no clear opinion. This is how it proceeds - we have studied this from beginning to end. How and when a person begins to age - there are suggestions that aging begins in childhood, or even that aging begins in the womb.

The most popular theory is that aging begins at the age of 20-22, when the human body has already grown and all systems have been formed. This happens unnoticed - from the age of 20, there is a gradual decrease in the acuity of the sensory organs, the sensitivity of the papillae of the tongue, the acuity of hearing and vision decreases. We don't notice it because it happens very slowly.

Then, from the age of 30, our production of testosterone and other sex hormones decreases, and lung capacity decreases slightly, and so on. Everything happens gradually, every 10 years we experience various kinds of age-related changes, and by the age of 50 the activity of the immune system already decreases, we begin to get sick more often, changes (in the worst side) resistance and stability of the body. Usually, at the age of 50, different chronic diseases, by the age of 60 they attack us even more brutally, and if we did not die in the period from 60 to 70-80 years, after 80 years we can last for some time, being in a stable condition. After reaching this age, our body adapts to age-related changes and diseases and lives for some time. But on average we live 70-80 years.

As paradoxical as it sounds, having lived to the age of centenarians - 90 years, a person has a greater chance of living for quite a long time. During this period, the risk of dying from diseases associated with aging is lower, because the body is more stable than at 60-70 years old.

The very changes that are commonly called senile changes lead us to death and illness. The essence of these changes is the depletion of the body's resources. All reserves are gradually used up, and the body loses its ability to adapt to external changes, internal pathological changes, and at some point breaks down.

What diseases are associated with aging? What can we expect in old age?

After 50 years, absolutely everyone begins to get sick with something, and by the age of 60 we have a set of classic “senile” diseases: atherosclerosis, hyperadaptosis, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer. Alas, all our resources are finite. By the age of 60, our immunity, which has been in an overstrained state all our lives, is depleted, and we get sick more often and longer, and it is more difficult to recover. Roughly speaking, we die not from old age, but from diseases that beset us during the aging process. With centenarians it’s a little different - after 80-90 years, many centenarians simply fade away.

There is a lot of talk now about a “cancer epidemic” – is this true, or are we simply living longer than previous generations, and the chances of getting cancer have become greater?

In Pushkin's time, the average life expectancy was 20-23 years, but this does not mean that in those times no one lived to be 70-80 years old. Individual life expectancy has always been the same - 70-80 years, but not everyone (due to social reasons) lived to this age at that time: wars, epidemics, etc. The maximum proven species life expectancy for humans is 120 years, and we have not yet crossed this threshold.

Consequently, more people began to live to old age, and more people developed cancer. You could say that cancer is the other side of aging. There is even a joke among oncologists: “if someone in old age died from another cause, he simply did not live to see his cancer.”

Is there a difference in the aging of men and women? And who ages faster?

No, there's no difference. The aging process develops equally in both men and women. Although, if you look at the fact that girls develop faster, theoretically they should also grow old earlier, the entire process of aging development should proceed faster, and women should die earlier than men. But women live longer. This happens because women have a “reserve” of 10-15 years, which is allotted to them by nature, as an individual bearing a fetus. Therefore, biological development, including senile changes, in women is inhibited for these 10-15 years. For men, everything is simple - they have a different function, and their aging process proceeds evenly, progresses and nothing delays it. Roughly speaking, women have a built-in endocrinological, hormonal mechanism that delays the aging process. However, the very course of aging and age-related changes in women and men do not differ.

There is such a thing as biological and calendar age. Do they always have to match each other?

The norm is when biological and calendar ages correspond, and in large cities residents experience accelerated development of biological age (BA) relative to calendar age. This is called premature aging.

Premature aging is observed in 70-80% of residents of large cities; in residents of small towns and rural areas this figure is lower.

The main reason is stress, which triggers and accelerates the aging mechanism. Age-related changes are influenced by many factors, including the environment and nutrition, but stress still comes first.

What to do to avoid aging longer? What does gerontology offer?

Over the past 20 years, gerontology has developed developments that really help delay aging a little. They do not lead to a stunning effect, you will not look younger before your eyes, but it is possible to correct the aging process, especially premature aging.

Firstly, there is a special gerodiet - it is based on the principle of balance and low calorie. Low-calorie is when you eat less than 1000 calories a day, and balanced is a set of necessary foods. The second point is a series of physical exercises that gerontology offers as a supporting factor.

In general, gerontology has two main directions - methods of active longevity, and research aimed at finding means of radically prolonging life. The first direction is based on the principles of a healthy lifestyle. The general rules of a healthy lifestyle allow you to live a little longer and better.

Gerontology is also trying to find ways to radically prolong human life, and one of the recommendations is the use of geroprotectors. There is a group of drugs that in gerontology are called geroprotectors. They are able to debug some age-related processes in the body. These are antioxidants, antidiabetic biguanides, immunomodulators and even hormones. For example, oxidative stress is one of the signs of progressive age-related changes, and antioxidants, for example, resveratrol, which is found in small doses in red wine and in some medications, help here. But geroprotectors should be used only as prescribed by a gerontologist; these are still medications.

Nowadays such trends as vegetarianism and raw food diet are very popular. And they all claim that they will live longer and better.

Unfortunately, no tricks with nutrition and other things give us the opportunity to live longer than our individual limit. According to statistics, absolute vegans live shorter lives, since the body lacks some basic amino acids. Certainly correct and quality food helps people live more actively and better within the capabilities of their body, but it is impossible to miraculously prolong life for a long time, turn back time and restore youth with the help of nutrition.

Gerontolomgy (from ancient Greek gEschn - “old man” and lgpt - “knowledge, word, teaching”) is a science that studies the biological, social and psychological aspects of human aging, its causes and ways to combat it (rejuvenation) . It arose about a century ago. The components of gerontology are geriatrics - the study of diseases associated with involutional changes, as well as features of the treatment and prevention of diseases in old age, gerohygiene, which studies issues of general and special hygiene of people in older age groups, and gerontopsychology, which studies psychological and behavioral characteristics elderly and elderly people.

A significant contribution to the formation and development of this science was made by I. I. Mechnikov and N. M. Amosov. V. M. Dilman also contributed to the understanding of age-related development processes and the causes of aging. Academician V.V. Frolkis put forward an adaptation-regulatory theory of age-related development (with a gene-regulatory hypothesis of aging). According to him, the primary mechanisms of aging are associated with changes in the regulation of gene activity, regulation of their expression and repression. He also put forward the theory of vitaukt - in the course of evolution, along with the aging processes, mechanisms of active counteraction to them arise - vitaukt (anti-aging) processes. V.V. Frolkis also proposed several hypotheses and concepts: the concept of ethagenesis to describe the life cycle of the organism as a whole (from zygote to death); hypothesis about inverters (intracellular regulators of plasma membranes) - an assumption about the existence of intracellular regulators of the state of plasma membranes that are synthesized in the nucleus; the synthesis of inverters decreases with age, which causes changes in cell excitability and their sensitivity to the action of hormones; the concept of stress-age-syndrome, postulated on the basis of the similarities between numerous physiological, biochemical and structural manifestations of aging and stress.

Gerontological changes.

Definition.

Starting from the so-called middle age, it becomes increasingly difficult for the body to cope with everyday stress, physical, and sometimes mental capacity begin to gradually weaken. In developed countries, the average life expectancy is more than 70 years. In fact, a person can live 120 years, but this is hampered by disruptions in the functioning of various body systems that occur in the second half of life. Age-related changes lead to chronic and, in some cases, fatal diseases. The most vulnerable are the cardiovascular, digestive, excretory, nervous and reproductive systems. Common age-related diseases include Alzheimer's disease, osteoarthritis, cancer, diabetes, depression and coronary heart disease.

Description.

Peak growth and maturation of the human body occurs at approximately 25 years of age. Then comes maturity and aging - natural processes that follow the rapid flowering of youth. Some age-related changes are difficult to bear, but they do not always turn a person into a frail old man. Features of the aging process are determined by health status, lifestyle and genetic predisposition. The following changes are most often observed with age:

· Hearing impairment (perception of high tones is especially affected).
· Increased amount of fat tissue relative to muscle tissue (the ratio can increase by almost 30%). The layer of subcutaneous fat, previously evenly distributed throughout the body, now becomes thinner, and fat accumulates in the abdominal area. A person loses the ability to intensively consume fats (including cholesterol and fat-soluble substances), and they begin to accumulate in the body.
· Reduced water content in the body. This leads to poor absorption of water-soluble substances. The body produces less saliva and other moisturizing fluids.
· Deterioration of liver and kidney function. Because of this, they begin to accumulate harmful products exchange.
· Deterioration of digestion due to decreased production of gastric juice.
· Weakening of muscles, deterioration of coordination of movements, decrease in mobility, dexterity and flexibility.
· Decreased production of sex hormones, attenuation of sexual function.
· Gradual weakening of taste and smell.
· Changes in the functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems lead to a deterioration in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to various organs and systems of the body.
Deterioration in performance nervous system. Brain signals are no longer transmitted as efficiently. Reflexes slow down, memory and the ability to perceive new information deteriorate.
· Decreased bone density and bone strength.
· Gradual decrease in the production of hormones, especially the thyroid gland and gonads.
· Deterioration of vision, increased risk of developing eye diseases (for example, macular degeneration).
· Deterioration of the natural production of vitamin D under the influence of sunlight.
· Reduced protein formation, decreased musculoskeletal mass, increased risk of osteoporosis.

Causes and symptoms.

There are several theories to explain the aging process. In each specific case, the leading role is assigned to a specific factor (or a combination of them).

· Programmed aging (“biological clock theory”). Cell aging is programmed at the genetic level. The number of possible divisions is laid down once and for all. When cells begin to die faster than they are restored, organs cease to cope with the vital functions assigned to them.
· Genetic theory. Cells contain substances that destroy them at the chromosomal level.
· Structural theory. With age, the condition of connective tissue deteriorates: due to the fact that it becomes less strong and elastic, irreversible changes occur.
· Free radical theory. The most popular theory is that chemical reactions in the body's cells produce free radicals, which cause cell damage and death. Over time, the number of dead and nonfunctioning cells increases. Because of this, the functioning of the entire body is disrupted.
· Immunological theory. As we age, the immune system wears down. The body becomes more susceptible to infectious diseases and disorders, which ultimately lead to death. In addition, due to a weakened immune system, autoimmune reactions are triggered: the body recognizes its own cells as foreign and destroys them itself.

Diagnostics.

Numerous diseases are associated with age-related changes. There is no uniform method for identifying them, but examination of the patient, general and biochemical blood tests help identify problem areas. In older people, the disease often occurs in a mild form at first. An examination is required if the following symptoms are present:

· decreased appetite
Confusion
· urinary incontinence
· dizziness
weight loss
cases of falls

Prevention.

· To increase life expectancy and improve its quality in old age, you need to eat right, lead an active lifestyle, avoid stress and give up bad habits. Physical exercise strengthens bone tissue, improves appetite, digestion, mental well-being and blood circulation.
· Drinking plenty of fluid helps maintain healthy skin, good digestion and timely removal of waste products from the body. You should drink up to 8 glasses of water a day, along with herbal tea, diluted fruit and vegetable juices, and eating fresh vegetables and fruits with a high fluid content.
· Due to weakened taste buds, older people often add more salt to their food. This leads to increased blood pressure and a deficiency of nutrients in the body. Sugar consumption is also increasing. Seaweed and honey (in small quantities) can be used as sugar substitutes.
· Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine are potentially dangerous and should be partially or completely avoided.
· Foods rich in fiber but low in fat are recommended, as well as complex carbohydrates(eg cereals). If chewing is difficult, drink more protein-containing drinks, milk cereals, and freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.

Modern medicine has hundreds of diverse sections. One of them is gerontology. What kind of science is this? Gerontology is a special field that studies the processes that cause the aging of the human body. Moreover, scientists from this field determine how diseases progress in old age, what features there are in these processes. Gerontology is a broad concept. The field that studies the health of older people is called geriatrics. An important task here is to develop effective techniques when treating an aging body.

Gerontology and Geriatrics

Specialists in the field of gerontology study the physiological stages occurring in the body and the biochemical reactions that are responsible for their occurrence. Gerontology is a science that studies the causes of aging of the body. Currently, this area has reached a high level. Modern scientists have conducted a lot of research and developed many techniques. In our country, there are research institutes of gerontology in the largest cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg). These multidisciplinary centers have a wealth of research potential.

Geriatrics is one of the important branches of gerontology. This industry has a particular focus on older people. Therapy for the elderly has its own characteristics. Moreover, geriatrics deals not only with treatment, but also with prevention. This area is especially significant, because over the years our organs work worse each time, chronic diseases and complications arise. Getting rid of them is difficult, sometimes impossible. However, if desired, you can compensate for some violations.

The human body becomes decrepit over the years, cells age and stop rejuvenating, this is inherent in nature. But the facts show that everyone ages differently. Due to heredity, the body can become decrepit as early as 10 years old. And someone with a strong hereditary mechanism is able to live up to 200 years. Japanese man Mamme died at the age of 242. This is an isolated case. However, it confirms that the cells of the human body are capable of longevity.

This science is developing in three main directions: experimental, social and clinical gerontology. A variety of research methods are used: biochemical, biological, physiological, biophysical and others.

Causes of aging of the body

So why does the human body age? Gerontology explains this for several reasons, the main ones being:

Like everything in nature, any living organism wears out over time. This is true, because we apply the word “old” to any objects, both living and inanimate. Everything in this world undergoes aging. As a gerontologist would say, there is a process of entropy accumulating over time (increasing chaos). So, over time, a large amount of damage and mutations accumulate in DNA cells, and this leads to disruption of organ function. One of the main destroyers of our cells, according to gerontology, is radiation. It is present everywhere on earth, in all objects, in environment, only the dose differs. We can't escape this.

Free radicals are aggressive molecules that have an unpaired electron, enter into various reactions and thereby oxidize (destroy) our cells.

Our body ages due to stress, lack of oxygen, accumulated harmful substances, cross-linking of molecules in cells (glycosylation), and chronic fatigue. Every body has a “repair kit” that helps restore cells, but over the years this ability is lost and the ability to self-regulate decreases.

Gerontology is a science that studies the body's ability to heal and renew itself. How younger man, the sooner its cells are capable of rebirth. This process is very interesting. At a young age, no matter what factors damage the cell, the renewal process occurs so quickly that the damage does not have time to accumulate, and the body quickly recovers.

But at some point this process slows down, and soon it simply stops. Nature includes a trigger that promotes self-destruction. Cells stop renewing, damage accumulates, and the body simply dies from aging.

The concept of social gerontology

Now it is clear that gerontology is the study of the aging processes of the body. Well, why do people age differently? Does it just depend on heredity?

Social living conditions also play an important role. Social gerontology studies this side of the issue. Scientific research is carried out in the field relating to social and hygienic aspects aimed at studying premature aging. This area examines social conditions, lifestyles, their physical activity, and seeks the most appropriate organization of people’s work retirement age.

Social and clinical gerontology does not just study biological processes and wear and tear of the body. The goal of science is to find social opportunities to preserve spiritual and physical significance, which are so important in old age. The way of life and problems of existence in society come to the fore here. They are inextricably linked with problems of sociology, philosophy, social psychology, economics, industry, statistics, individual and social hygiene. Social gerontology is inextricably linked with the general culture of society, with the state, which is obliged to take care of the mental and somatic well-being of the elderly generation.

Areas of social gerontology

In social gerontology, scientists conduct research in three directions:

Study of social aspects of mental and biological aging of a person. Study of the influence of the aging process on the personality itself in the last stages of life: changes in attitudes, social needs, activity, activities, and completely lifestyle. This direction focuses on personal, individual characteristics old age and aging.
Study of social groups in which older people live. Gerontologists identify the environment in which individuals age, what influence others have on them, and how quickly the aging process occurs.
The concept of “gerontology in the social environment” also implies the study of the social status of old people. They are also elements of the demographic and social structure and have a direct impact on a variety of general processes. In this direction, special attention is paid to organizations that provide social security, services and protection for older people.

The influence of social aspects in gerontology

Social gerontology is a science that also studies pre-retirement and retirement age for rapid professional aging. Considers the activity, ability to work and professionalism of older people. This work is carried out in the following directions:

Providing assistance to old and elderly people with low level welfare, practical assistance.
To increase social activity in older people, create certain conditions and carry out social rehabilitation.
In relation to old and elderly people, the formation of the necessary social protection policy in society.
Development of methods and preventive programs to eliminate the negative consequences of aging.
Social experiments that make it possible to give an objective assessment and create a database to improve the material and living conditions of older people.

Social gerontology is a direction that aims to clarify the demographic changes in the country, the economic and social consequences that lead to high mortality and short life expectancy of people of retirement age. This direction studies all the social problems that old age faces and finds out the reasons for their occurrence.

Biological age and society

Biological age can be called the measure of aging of an organism, its health and life expectancy. It is determined by a whole set of indicators and tests. This is the functional age, which depends on the social living conditions and personal qualities of a person. Any institute of gerontology will provide tests that allow everyone to find out their biological age. This is especially important for older people. Scientists believe that this is a species' lifespan, which shows changes in the body in comparison with calendar age.

To prevent premature aging, it is very important to determine your biological age and analyze any negative changes and eliminate their cause in a timely manner. In social gerontology, entire measures are being developed aimed at social protection. The Bulgarian gerontologist Stoinev is close to the concept that aging is a biosocial phenomenon and its manifestation is influenced not only by genetic, but also by social and economic factors. The quality of life of older people should improve, pensioners should have the opportunity to work, receive the necessary support not only from loved ones, but also from the state.

Importance of Geriatrics

Gerontology and geriatrics, which is part of it, are of great importance in medicine. This is undeniable. It is thanks to geriatrics that the doctor can correctly navigate in establishing the correct diagnosis for an elderly patient, prescribe the correct treatment and improve his quality of life.

The main difficulties of geriatrics are that old people, as a rule, have not one, but several diseases at once, many pathological processes. The centers of bioregulation and gerontology carry out immediately full examination. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, digestive system, and musculoskeletal system are often detected. Prescribing the correct treatment for several ailments is not an easy process, and this is the main task of geriatrics. It is also important to prevent the development of any pathologies in this group of patients.

The governments of developed countries have already understood and appreciated the importance of the science of gerontology, including geriatrics. By allocating considerable funds for its development, the state is trying to improve its demographic policy and extend life expectancy.

Gerontological Research and Clinical Center (GSC) in Moscow

The Institute of Gerontology in Moscow is a leading scientific, methodological and at the same time medical geriatric institution of the Russian Ministry of Health. Residents from any corner of our country can come here for examination and treatment. The main activity of the center is clinical gerontology. "Botanical Garden" is the nearest metro station. Address: Leonova street, 16. Finding the center will not be difficult.

The center provides medical care to everyone age groups, but special attention is paid to senile and elderly people. There is successful experience in performing complex operations on centenarians.

Doctors from all regions of the country receive training and professional training at the gerontology center. The center’s specialists are sent for internships to geriatric clinics in Europe and Israel.

The clinic employs 15 associate professors, 13 doctors of science, 40 candidates, 11 professors. Unique technologies have been developed here to determine the patient’s biological age, as well as various programs for the prevention of aging and age-associated diseases. High-tech care is provided using modern diagnostic and surgical equipment. Surgical interventions are often performed using laser technology and modern materials.

Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology (St. Petersburg)

In the Northern capital, gerontology as a science is also developing rapidly. In St. Petersburg, the Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology was founded back in 1992. The main goal was the implementation of fundamental tasks in the field of gerontology, as well as the implementation of twenty years of existing clinical and experimental research into practice. They were carried out using peptide bioregulators, which were created over several years at the Kirov Academy. The main objectives of the institute in St. Petersburg are:

Fundamental scientific research, forecasting and improvement of diagnostic methods, development of the latest programs in the field of gerontology and bioregulation.
Clinical study, development of new medicines, modern technologies for the treatment and prevention of age-related pathologies.
Promotion of new knowledge in the science of gerontology. St. Petersburg is currently the only center in the north-west of the country that is engaged in development, research, and practice in the field of gerontology and geriatrics.

Results of work

Many years of research at the institute have yielded amazing results. It was here that the hepoprotective drug of peptide bioregulators was created. Its use makes it possible to prevent and even treat diseases that are associated with old age.

The Institute of Gerontology is proud of its employees, who are the authors of a number of drugs launched into industrial production by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation: 6 hepoprotectors, 30 types of bioregulators, 5 synthetic peptides. These drugs have no analogues abroad! Here, scientists carried out the chemical synthesis of hundreds of peptides. They have the highest biological activity and slow down the aging process. The Center for Gerontology presented a group of substances that received the common name “cytomedine”. The experience of their use has already proven the effectiveness of the drugs in the fight against premature aging, as well as pathologies that cannot be treated in old age.

A huge number of people are aging now. And every year the number of elderly people will only increase. Why is this happening? And all because the number of children born increases every day. In some 70 years, they will all be old, which will lead to even greater relevance of the problem of aging and everything connected with it. All these questions are covered by gerontology. What kind of science is this? She studies the problems of aging people and everything that accompanies them.

Some call it a full-fledged science, while others call it just a subsection of medicine. The truth, as they say, is somewhere in the middle. And this is true, because it is impossible to consider, for example, the health of older people in isolation from their psychology and interaction with society. By the way, issues of socialization are considered by a science called social gerontology. We will talk about it further. Now let's take a closer look at the science of aging.

Gerontology - what kind of science is it?

Gerontology is a field of scientific knowledge that studies human aging and the mechanisms of life extension: both physiological and psychological. As for the treatment of older people, geriatrics deals with this as a subsection of gerontology. In general, the subject of the science under consideration is quite broad, which makes it possible to make it full-fledged. Gerontology deals with the following problems:

Treatment of elderly people.
Study of the most common causes of death among older people.
Study of age-related characteristics associated with human aging.
Studying the interaction of older people with society and others in it.
Studying the demographic dynamics of older people.
Research into issues related to life expectancy.

As we can see, the field of gerontology is quite broad, which creates an excellent basis for the formation of a favorable society with a long life expectancy. Gerontology is becoming more and more important in the world. What triggered this? The reason for this is very simple. Gerontology is a truly important science in today's world. How more people remains able to work, the better for the whole world. And given that pensioners are more hardworking than young people, this can significantly affect positive sides public life. Let's look at some aspects related to gerontology in more detail.

Diseases of old age

Humans can genetically live up to 120 years. We can find confirmation of this not only in the works of gerontologists, but also in the Bible. As we see, in in this case religion says the same thing as science. In other cases, allegories are actively used, but this is another topic. How long do pensioners live in the world? Maximum up to 100 years. And if a person was able to live to 90 or even 80, then he is already considered a long-liver. And gerontology deals with the issue of achieving such a long life expectancy. What can this provide? Scientists are thinking about this question, and they are gradually finding the answer.

So early? The reason for this is that they develop diseases that undermine their health. What are the most common diseases? First of all, the cardiovascular system suffers, which is the most vulnerable point of a person. Therefore, a heart attack or ischemia at an advanced age is common, albeit unpleasant. The musculoskeletal and respiratory systems are also affected. Concomitant pathologies may also occur. Very often, several diseases occur at once, which only worsens the prognosis.

Age characteristics of aging and old people

Old people have many age-related psychological characteristics. In this case, gerontology has very close connections with developmental psychology, which also studies this topic. This may also include diseases of older people that are directly related to psychology. So, one of these is Alzheimer's disease or any other dementia, which is characterized by acquired dementia.

This disease develops quite slowly, but surely. You can only slightly delay its development if you follow preventive measures. Its course begins with the fact that a person has problems with memory. Very often this is called, but when it reaches the advanced stages of the disease, it is already called insanity.

Accordingly, everything depends on the stage at which a person is. This disease lasts about ten years, after which the patient becomes so lazy (this phenomenon in medical language is called abulia) that he has no desire to make even the slightest movement. Most often, people suffering from Alzheimer's disease die from pneumonia, which occurs due to prolonged lying on their back.

As you can see, it is directly related to gerontology and medicine.

Relationship with society

In this case, we consider how old man in society. This is also somewhat similar in terms of subject matter to developmental psychology, where the range of interests also includes personality changes associated with human aging. With the same Alzheimer's disease, the personal sphere can suffer greatly. So, a certain aggressiveness may be characteristic of an elderly person. It occurs for many reasons. Aspects of the relationship between an elderly person and society are studied by social gerontology.

Another reason for aggressive behavior in society

In addition, this disease significantly affects the human brain, so anything can happen. Another reason for aggressiveness may be the awareness of one’s own incompetence in something that was previously done very well. For example, a person used to be able to write, but now he is losing this skill. All this negatively affects how an individual behaves with the people around him. However, behavior can also become friendly. Social gerontology tries to establish causes and patterns.

Which institutes in Russia deal with issues of gerontology?

The Institute of Gerontology is a scientific, scientific and educational institution that devotes itself to the study of issues related to human aging. There are several such educational institutions in Russia that have proven themselves quite well. This is, for example, the Institute of Gerontology and Bioregulation. We understood the first word in the title. But what is bioregulation? This is how the body maintains the constancy of its internal environment and functions. It is the deterioration of bioregulation that is a consequence of age-related changes. Therefore, bioregulation and gerontology are inseparable things. This is the question that this Institute of Gerontology is studying.

First let's find out what is gerontology?

Gerontology is the science of aging. Gerontology cannot use any drug to restore youth to a person. Everyone should strive for a lifestyle that will slow down the rate of aging. Of course, the fight for your own health. behind active longevity- a lot of work that requires time. and perseverance. But to make it easier to cope with this difficult task, take the advice of K. S. Stanislavsky, who wrote that the difficult must be made familiar, the familiar easy, and the easy pleasant. In other words, a healthy lifestyle should become a habit, and then it will help you delay old age.

You don't have to be a gerontologist. to appearance distinguish a young man from an old man, determine a person’s age with an accuracy of 5-10 years. At the same time, if, without showing the person, you give the doctors his data medical examination; numbers of blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar levels, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram - then determining age will be much more difficult.

This is due to one of the most important regularities discovered in Lately. It turned out that over the years, along with aging - a destructive process - another, opposite process occurs in the body, called vitaukt (from the word "vita" - life, "auctum" - to increase). This process is aimed at stabilizing the vitality of the organism, increasing its reliability, and increasing human life expectancy. The interaction of two processes - vitality and aging, the degree of their expression - determines the rate of age-related changes and life expectancy. In other words, time leads not only to the waste of the acquired “inheritance”, but also to its effective replenishment. And the tactics and strategy in increasing life expectancy are to develop means of slowing down aging and activating the vitaukt process.

Aging begins from birth. But since vitaukta processes predominate in the body, serious age-related changes do not develop for a long time. But when the balance of these processes shifts more and more towards aging, disturbances in the nervous and hormonal regulation of metabolism begin to appear in the body.

It should be noted that most age-related changes do not actively develop in old age. but much earlier. Paradoxically, we age rapidly even when we consider ourselves young. Many severe age-related disorders of metabolism and various body functions occur at the age of 50-59 years. It is at this age that significant changes in the activity of the cardiovascular and endocrine systems often occur. gastrointestinal tract. And the sooner we apply the entire complex of active preventive effects on the aging body, the greater the chance that we will be able to prevent the onset of premature aging.

An important stage of aging is the so-called menopause, accompanied by a serious restructuring of neurohormonal regulation and loss of reproductive function. In women, menopause most often occurs between the ages of 48 and 53 years. In the last decade, an interesting phenomenon has been observed, called the secular trend - an earlier onset of the first menstruation (by 2-3 years) and a later cessation of menstruation (by 3-4 years). Thus, the childbearing period increased by 5-7 years. Menopause also exists in men, but it occurs somewhat later than in women and is extended over time. At this stage of life, the function of the central nervous system, and especially such a part of it as the hypothalamus, which regulates the state of the entire internal environment of the body and all its vegetative functions, changes significantly. A serious restructuring of hormonal regulation also occurs. All this often leads to significant changes in metabolism.

Aging limits the body's adaptive capabilities and creates preconditions for the occurrence of diseases. Indeed, diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, vascular diseases of the brain, arterial hypertension, cancer. Diabetes develops mainly in the second half of a person’s life. That is why there is no more effective means of preventing these diseases than the development of measures to influence the rate of aging.

I would like to convince readers of this. that today a person already has quite accessible ways to influence the adaptive capabilities of an aging organism. Aging is a multi-causal process. That is why funds aimed at the aging process must have many “points of application” in the body.

First of all, about nutrition. It has been irrefutably proven in dozens of laboratories and clinics around the world: one of the most effective means Extending human life is a low-calorie, but qualitatively complete diet. It helps maintain performance longer. maintain a high level of nervous activity. Moreover, a low-calorie diet postpones the onset of diseases that inevitably develop in old age - arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis and other diseases.

Conversely, studies have shown that overeating and obesity reduce life expectancy. When in experiments on animals we destroyed the saturation center located in the hypothalamus, the animals ate colossal amounts of food, they grew fat, and then quickly died from various diseases. Clinical observations of specialists from the Institutes of Gerontology also indicate: the lower the calorie intake of older people, the less pronounced their atherosclerotic changes, the better the function of the heart and blood vessels.

Interesting studies were also carried out abroad. In a number of nursing homes in Spain, a large group of people were switched to a low-calorie diet. In this group, the number of deaths and illnesses was almost half as much. Long-term observations of members of the so-called anti-coronary club in New York showed that a diet with low calorie content (1600 kcal) and low fat content (10-15% of the total energy content of the diet) helped reduce the development of coronary heart disease by 3.5 times. Meanwhile, unfortunately, today we have to note the widespread prevalence of obesity and obesity among the population of many countries, including ours. How to prevent the development of obesity?

Using existing tables and also using special calorie counters (calculators), it is not difficult to determine the calorie content of your diet, the body’s energy expenditure, and based on these two figures, build a calorie-restricted diet. It is more than obvious that the time has come to indicate the calorie content of dishes and products at catering establishments and in stores. When composing your diet, you must take into account that the body’s energy expenditure decreases with age and, accordingly, the calorie content of food should decrease.

The quality of the diet is also important. its balance among main products. It should contain enough phospholipids (they form the basis of cell membranes), proteins and vitamins. It is necessary to limit carbohydrates, table salt, and increase the proportion of vegetable proteins and fats. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic, linoleic, linolenic, vegetable fats contained in significantly larger quantities than in animals. And these fatty acids are necessary for the construction of cell membranes and the synthesis of very important intracellular regulators.

Now about physical activity. With aging, a vicious circle develops - the aging process of the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, the musculoskeletal system limits a person's mobility, and the resulting hypokinesia aggravates the aging process. And it is extremely important to break this vicious circle. And for this you need to lead an active lifestyle. Optimal physical activity leads to the fact that the heart begins to work more economically, blood supply to tissues and pulmonary ventilation improves, the synthesis of many proteins necessary for the body is activated, and mental performance increases. It is important that this effect is also observed in older people.

The forms of active motor mode are diverse. The most physiological are walking that increases in pace and duration, and special sets of physical exercises. For those older people who jog, I would like to remind you that heart rhythm disturbances, urolithiasis, cholelithiasis, and osteochondrosis are contraindications to this type of physical activity.

In order for physical activity to lead to positive changes in the body, it must be extremely individualized, that is, selected taking into account age and health status. The loads must be sufficient and cause fatigue, because fatigue stimulates recovery processes. Without fatigue, it is impossible to achieve a high level of performance. However, the loads should not be excessive, since this worsens coronary insufficiency in older people, blood pressure becomes unstable, and arrhythmias often occur. Get advice on the optimal physical activity Depending on your age and health status, you can see your attending physician, a specialist at a medical and physical education clinic, or a doctor at a geriatric office.

A few words about the connection between stress and aging. There is a lot of talk and debate about this now. Indeed, frequently repeated extreme stress can cause a number of diseases. However - and this is an immutable fact proven by scientists - complete isolation from moderate stress shortens life expectancy. I. S. Aksakov expressed a person’s attitude to his way of life very accurately: “Send me storms and bad weather, grant me painful days, but save me from criminal dispassion and from peace!”

Therefore, do not try to isolate yourself from life with all its inherent positive and negative emotions.

On the role of antioxidants and enterosorption in preventing aging. Many scientists believe that free radicals—highly active fragments of molecules formed in the body during lipid oxidation—play an important role in the mechanism of cell aging. Free radicals can damage molecules of nucleic acids and proteins, and disrupt the integrity of intracellular structures. And this can cause gross changes in metabolic processes and disrupt many body functions.

To protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, the body has a special system that includes antioxidants - substances that have the ability to bind free radicals. However, the reliability of this system decreases with age. That's why it's important. so that the body receives an additional number of substances with antioxidant effects. Among them are tocopherol, ascorbic acid, rutin, sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine, cysteine), glutamic acid; All these substances are part of multivitamin complexes. It is important to combine antioxidant intake with physical activity.

Among the mechanisms of aging, the accumulation of a number of substances formed during metabolism is of significant importance. They are neutralized by liver cells. At the same time, with age, a triad of unfavorable changes arises - the accumulation of metabolic products, increased sensitivity of cells and tissues to them, and a decrease in the power of the hepatic neutralization system. In order to activate the vitaukt processes, we proposed the use of enterosorption (“entero” - intestine, “sorption” - absorb). In experiments on animals, a drug with high sorption properties was added to their food. The results of the experiments reveal: the life expectancy of animals increased, the rate of development slowed down a number of age-related changes in metabolism and functions of an aging organism. This gives reason to believe that enterosorption significantly optimizes the detoxifying function of the liver, reduces the formation of free radicals, and protects cells from death. Dietary fiber, pectins, etc. have sorption capacity. large quantities contained in some fruits and vegetables: carrots, apples, beets, cabbage.

They used to say: in order to prolong life, you must not shorten it. This is of course true. However, today it can be argued; In order to live long, it is necessary to activate processes that prolong life. Modern gerontology fights not only for the quantity, but also for the quality of life, for active longevity, and an optimal level of health.

Movement is the key to active longevity!

V.V. Frolkis