Medicine and the Immune System

Advances in medicine have had many beneficial results, most of which have given way to an increased standard of living and as a result have managed to extend life expectancy. At the beginning of this new millennium, life expectancy doubled to approximately 80 years of age when compared to what it was in 1900. This extension of life has emphasized the necessity for a better understanding of the medical aspects of aging. Since the older population has grown at a very high rate, efforts to provide adequate healthcare for the elderly has become a major goal.

The immune system is of utmost importance in every individual and more so in the aging adult. This protective system has been found to deteriorate as the person ages, and since it is associated with every tissue and organ in the body, research efforts have been aimed at acquiring a better understanding of how it works and why it is vulnerable to advancing age.

Immunogerontology is a new field that aims to study the immune system in the aging adult. Results from experiments done in this field have yielded few data to date and the results that have been generated have come under scrutiny as the new field becomes established and accepted protocols are put in place. Preliminary results however have verified and documented that the immune system becomes sluggish in its attempts to respond to stimuli and that these changes are the result of cumulative variations at the chemical, cellular, and

Related Essays

Traditional Chinese Medicine & HIV/AIDS .... in the blood stream, which are part of the immune system and help the body fight of infection in a healthy person. Currently, Western medicine prescribes a .... (953 4 )

Treatment of Bronchitis & Chinese Medicine .... in the blood stream, which are part of the immune system and help the body fight of infection in a healthy person. Currently, Western medicine prescribes a .... (953 4 )

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) .... the virus without destroying the already threatened immune system. .... the virus from the body's immune surveillance. .... impact on many aspects of medicine and health .... (1957 8 )

Physical Well-Being and Emotions .... This is significant with respect to immune system health, as studies on prolonged stress .... The past two centuries in medicine demonstrate a growing belief in the .... (1847 7 )

The Evolution of AIDS .... The disease weakens the immune system to the point where the body no longer .... was elaborated on and subsequently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. .... (1435 6 )

tigen had been bound to the antigen binding site. This absence of CD69 verified the interruption of the signaling activity. Malnutrition in aging populations is another mechanism, which contributes to the decline in the efficiency of the signal transduction system and as a result leads to the degradation of the immune response. Calcium is an integral part of the signaling mechanism and the biochemical pathways that compose it. Enzymes necessary for T cell proliferation are rendered useless in the absence of calcium as shown by Miller et al (1996). Measurements made in the lab of IL-2 production were shown to be substantially lower than in T cells belonging to younger individuals. It is important to remember that IL-2 is produced after the antigen binds to the receptor-binding site and is responsible for promoting the proliferation of the T cell. Though these experiments are mainly carried out on mice, the biochemical pathways are very similar and results tend to indicate that immunodeficiency in the aging adult is due in part to the decline in calcium concentrations. Other nutrients such as zinc and vitamin E are also important in the proper functioning of the immune system affecting cytokine production and imparting a pro

Category: Medical - M