Changes in posture and gait (walking pattern) are as universally associated with aging as changes in the skin and hair.
The skeleton provides support and structure to the body. Joints are the areas where bones come together. They allow the skeleton to be flexible for movement. In a joint, bones do not directly contact each other. Instead, they are cushioned by cartilage in the joint, synovial membranes around the joint, and fluid.
Muscles provide the force and strength to move the body. Coordination is directed by the brain but is affected by changes in the muscles and joints. Changes in the posture and gait, weakness, and slowed movement are caused by changes in the muscles, joints, and bones.
AGING CHANGES
Bone mass or density is lost as people age, especially in women after menopause. The bones lose calcium and other minerals.
The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae. Between each bone is a gel-like cushion (intervertebral disk). The trunk becomes shorter as the disks gradually lose fluid and become thinner.
In addition, vertebrae lose some of their mineral content, making each bone thinner.
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is a neurological condition in which amyloid protein builds up on the walls of the arteries in the brain. The condition increases one's risk of hemorrhagic stroke.Reviewer: Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/16/2008
Sleep disorders in the elderly (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Sleep disorders in the elderly involve any disruptive pattern of sleep such as problems with falling or staying asleep, excessive sleep, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 01/23/2009
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