Volume 27, Issue 140, October 2023

Impact of aging on respiratory system; literature review article

Mohammed Ayed Algamdi^♦, Mohammed Saleh Almulhim, Abdullah Sultan Alangari, Saud Abdullah Alsalem, Hiba Abdulkarim Deria, Abdulaziz Fahad Alkharji, Khalid Mefleh Alrasheedi, Abdulkarim Farhan Alanazi, Wael Mohammed Alqahtani, Fahad Mohammed Alsahli

Respiratory therapist, National Guard hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Respiratory therapist, National Guard hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a demographic transition as the proportion of people 60 and older is predicted to rise from 2 million to 10.5 million between 2020 and 2050. Aging affects respiratory system as long as other systems in the body. Aging-related changes to the respiratory system typically include structural alterations to the thoracic cage and lung parenchyma, aberrant lung function test results, ventilation and gas exchange anomalies, lower exercise tolerance, and weaker respiratory muscle strength. Reduced elastic recoil of the thoracic cage and lung parenchyma results in decreased respiratory system compliance, which in turn results in less energy expended by the respiratory system. Age causes a decline in lung function as indicated by 1- second forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity (FVC), but total lung capacity does not vary. Diffusion capacity also diminishes as a result of the increased residual volume. The alveolar-arterial oxygen differential may rise due to increased physiological dead space and a ventilation/perfusion imbalance. The age-related muscular atrophy is estimated to be responsible for a greater than 20% decline in diaphragm strength. Age does not result in an increase in blood carbon dioxide content or ventilation per minute. Responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia, however, are diminished. Maximum oxygen consumption falls by >1% year, along with exercise capability. As a result of these changes, ageing is accompanied with an increase in respiratory disorders. It is crucial to understand these respiratory system modifications brought on by ageing.

Keywords: Respiratory system, aging

Medical Science, 2023, 27, e367ms3225

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v27i140.e367ms3225

Published: 13 October 2023