Features of the bronchopulmonary system in elderly individuals: Aging and the respiratory system

Vollständiger Abstract

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The elderly population is growing. It is projected to reach 20% or even higher percentage of the population by 2050. Respiratory system diseases rank second among the causes of death worldwide. To date, several signs of aging have been described which underlie the structural morphological and functional changes that lead to a gradual decline in the functions of the entire organism and disruption of adaptive mechanisms. This article describes some mechanisms of cellular senescence, provides morphofunctional characteristics of the senile lung, outlines the features of the course of certain respiratory diseases in elderly individuals, and presents some research results in the field of senotherapeutic drug development. Structural morphological, functional, and immunological age related changes, combined with external damaging factors and comorbidities, contribute to the development of oncological processes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, respiratory infections, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and other conditions. The development and study of senotherapeutic drugs are actively underway. However, these studies have a short follow-up period, and there is still insufficient research specifically in pulmonology. Due to the relevance of health in citizens over 65 years of age and the active longevity, the Russian Federation has a number of social programs, while the scientific community is seeing a growing number of related studies and developments. The aim is to update scientific understanding of age-related changes in the respiratory system from the molecular to the systemic level and their relationship with the characteristics of respiratory pathology in the elderly. Conclusion . Age-related changes occurring at the molecular and cellular level lead to various disorders of organs and systems, including the respiratory system. The development of comorbid pathology makes an elderly person vulnerable to external influences, reduces the quality of life, complicates the course of diseases, and complicates their treatment. The possibility of using senotherapeutic drugs and their effectiveness requires confirmation in clinical studies.