{"product_id":"the-merck-manual-of-health-aging-isbn-9780345482747","title":"The Merck Manual of Health \u0026 Aging","description":"\"A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR ANYONE WHO SEEKS A HEALTHIER OLD AGE FOR THEMSELVES OR THEIR LOVED ONES.”\u003cbr\u003e–William D. Novelli, CEO, AARP\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf aging were an open book, it would be The Merck Manual of Health \u0026amp; Aging. From one of the most trusted names in medical reference comes an accessible, all-inclusive guide for older adults that shares what measures to take to optimize the aging process, prevent disease, and improve your overall health. This comprehensive book also explains the health care system and the disorders seniors are most likely to experience. Inside you’ll discover clear, authoritative information on\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• preventive medical care and good nutrition\u003cbr\u003e• common medical disorders in older adults\u003cbr\u003e• strategies for coping with disease\u003cbr\u003e• steps for finding the best in medical care\u003cbr\u003e• how to communicate with health care practitioners\u003cbr\u003e• the role of alternative and complementary medicine\u003cbr\u003e• the benefits and risks of medical tests\u003cbr\u003e• the challenges of caregiving and rehabilitation\u003cbr\u003e• how the body ages\u003cbr\u003e• safe, easy-to-follow cardio exercises\u003cbr\u003e• the social, legal, and ethical issues of aging\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso featuring candid essays by seniors who share their insights and personal experiences on growing older, The Merck Manual of Health \u0026amp; Aging is an essential home reference for making your later years truly golden.“A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR ANYONE WHO SEEKS A HEALTHIER OLD AGE FOR THEMSELVES OR THEIR LOVED ONES.”\u003cbr\u003e–William D. Novelli, CEO, AARP\u003cb\u003eMerck \u0026amp; Co., Inc.\u003c\/b\u003e is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. It is committed to bringing out the best in medicine and, as a part of that effort, continues to proudly provide all of its famous Merck Manuals on a not-for-profit basis as a service to the community. The organization published the first of these in 1899, and by the 1980s, the series had become the world's largest selling medical text and was translated into more than a dozen languages.Age-Old Questions  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAging begins the moment a person is born. A baby develops and matures into  an adult. Then, at some point, the aging process changes. The person  begins a decline in function that ultimately leads to death—what people  usually think of as aging or growing old. The technical term for this  decline in function that ends in death is “senescence.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Science can provide information about changes in the body that lead to  aging and death. Science can determine how some of the changes occur. But  two basic mysteries remain: whether aging and dying have a purpose and, if  so, what that purpose is. Throughout history, people have responded to  these mysteries by searching for a “fountain of youth” that will prolong  the time spent as vigorous, healthy young adults. And the search continues  as researchers look for ways to slow or reverse the aging process.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Some progress has been made in the search. During the last century, life  expectancy for people in the United States has greatly increased. As a  result, what people consider to be old age has changed dramatically.  Improvements in life expectancy occurred in two stages. First, death  during childhood has become less likely, largely because sanitation has  improved and because vaccines and treatments for childhood diseases, such  as antibiotics, were developed. Second, disease and disability have become  less likely to develop or have been postponed in older people because  health care and approaches to prevention have improved. In spite of these  improvements, even the healthiest and luckiest people do not live beyond  about age 130.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      Looking for the Fountain of Youth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Books about how to stay young and live longer abound. Almost everyone is  interested in living a long life and looking and feeling young. No Ponce  de Leons are traveling to new lands on a search for a magic fountain to  restore their youth. However, researchers are looking at genes, cells,  hormones, eating patterns, and other factors for clues about what causes  aging and how to prevent or slow it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Research has identified three strategies that may help people live longer:  exercising, following certain types of diets, and eating fewer calories.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    People who exercise are healthier than those who do not. Exercise has many  established health benefits: improving and maintaining the ability to  function, maintaining a healthy weight, and helping prevent or postpone  disorders such as coronary artery disease and diabetes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    People who eat a low-fat diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables  are healthier than people who eat more fat and starch. Also, people who  live in Mediterranean countries and consume the so-called Mediterranean  diet seem to live longer. This diet is generally thought to be healthier  than northern European and American diets because it consists of more  grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fish and less red meat. In  addition, the main fat consumed is olive oil. Olive oil contains many  vitamins and consists mainly of monounsaturated fat rather than saturated  fat. Monounsaturated fats do not increase cholesterol the way saturated  fats do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A low-calorie diet over a lifetime may lead to longer life because it  reduces the number of certain damaging substances in the body. These  substances, called free radicals, are by-products of the normal activity  of cells. The damage done to cells by free radicals is thought to  contribute to aging and to disorders such as coronary artery disease and  cancer. But no studies to test this theory have been done in people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    These three strategies would require a change in lifestyle for most  people. Consequently, many people look for other, less demanding ways to  prevent or slow aging. For example, they may look for other ways   to manage free radicals. Substances called antioxidants can neutralize  free radicals and thus help prevent damage to cells. Vitamins C and E are  antioxidants. So some people take large amounts of these vitamins as  supplements in the hope of slowing the aging process. Other antioxidants,  such as beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A), are also sometimes taken as  supplements. In theory, the use of antioxidants to prevent aging makes  sense. However, no studies have shown that antioxidants prevent or slow  aging.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Levels of some hormones decrease as people age. Another way people try to  delay or slow aging is to take supplements of these hormones. Examples are  testosterone, estrogen, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), human growth  hormone, and melatonin. But whether hormonal supplements have any effect  on aging is unknown. Furthermore, some of these supplements have known  risks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Some people believe that Eastern practices, such as yoga, tai chi, and  qigong, can prolong life. These practices are based on the principle that  health involves the whole person (physical, emotional, mental, and  spiritual) and balance within the body. The practices may include  relaxation, breathing techniques, diet, and meditation as well as  exercise. They are safe for older people and probably improve their  health. But whether these practices prolong life is difficult to prove.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    When Does a Person Become Old?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The traditional designation for old age—65 years—has no basis in biology.  Many people are vigorous and active at 65. Others are sick and inactive at  40. Rather, the basis for choosing age 65 is in history. Age 65 was chosen  as the age for retirement in Germany, the first nation to establish a  retirement program. (In 1889, Bismarck, Germany’s Chancellor, first chose  age 70, but in 1916, the age was lowered to 65.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The question as to when a person becomes old can be answered in different  ways. Chronologic age is based solely on the passage of time. It is a  person’s age in years. Chronologic age has limited significance in terms  of health. Nonetheless, the likelihood of developing a health problem  increases as people age. Because chronologic age helps predict many health  problems, it has some legal and financial uses. It is also used to  determine eligibility for some programs for older people.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Biological age refers to changes in the body that commonly occur as people  age. For example, vision and hearing typically worsen as people age.  Because these changes affect some people more than others, some people are  biologically old at 40, and others are biologically young at 60 and even  older.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Psychologic age is based on how people act and feel. For example, an  80-year-old who works, plans, looks forward to future events, and  participates in many activities is considered psychologically young. Such  a person is commonly described as “being young at heart.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    People often wonder whether what they are experiencing as they age is  normal or abnormal. Although people age somewhat differently, many changes  occur in almost everyone and are thus considered “normal.” However, a more  accurate description of these changes is “usual.” Usual aging refers to  what happens to most people, including disorders that are common among  older people. Usual aging does not necessarily mean that the changes are  unavoidable or desirable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Usual aging was once thought to include such unavoidable changes as muscle  weakness, slowed movement, loss of balance, and memory loss. Research has  shown that many of these common, “normal” changes result from an unhealthy  lifestyle or from disorders that can be prevented or treated and reversed,  rather than from aging itself. So the question to ask may be whether  changes can be avoided rather than whether they are “normal.” This  question leads to the concept of healthy aging.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Healthy aging refers to a postponement of or reduction in the undesired  effects of aging. The goals of healthy aging are maintaining physical and  mental health, avoiding disorders, and remaining active and independent.  For most people, maintaining general good health requires more effort as  they age. Certain healthy habits have been shown to reduce the risk of  developing several disorders that commonly occur as people age. These  habits include following a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, and  staying mentally active. Developing these habits is an important part of  healthy aging. The sooner a person develops them, the better. However, it  is never too late to begin.1 In this way, people can have some control  over what happens to them as they age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Why Does the Body Change?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The body changes with aging because changes occur in individual cells and  in whole organs. These changes result in changes in function, in  appearance, and thus in the experience of aging.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aging Cells\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    As cells age, they function less well. Eventually, they must die, as a  normal part of the body’s functioning.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Cells may die because they do not divide normally or because they are  damaged. Cells may be damaged by harmful substances in the environment,  such as radiation, sunlight, and \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    1. see page 33\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    chemotherapy drugs. Cells may also be damaged by certain by-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    products of their own normal activities. These by-products, called free  radicals, are given off when cells produce energy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Many cells die because the genes they contain program a process that, when  triggered, results in death of the cell. This programmed death, called  apoptosis, is a kind of cell suicide. Reasons for cell suicide include  replacing old cells with new ones and eliminating excess cells.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Also, cells die because they can divide only a limited number of times.  This limit is also programmed by genes. When a cell can no longer divide,  it grows larger, exists for a while, then dies. The mechanism that limits  cell division involves a structure called a telomere. Telomeres are used  to move the cell’s genetic material in preparation for cell division.  Every time a cell divides, the telomeres shorten a bit. Eventually, the  telomeres become so short that the cell can no longer divide. The  telomeres of cancer cells, unlike those of normal cells, do not shorten  each time the cell divides. Consequently, cancer cells can divide forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aging Organs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    How well organs function depends on how well the cells within them  function. Older cells function less well. Also, in some organs, cells die  and are not replaced, so the number of cells decreases. The number of  cells in the testes, ovaries, liver, and kidneys decreases markedly as the  body ages. When the number of cells becomes too low, an organ cannot  function normally. Thus, most organs function less well as people age.  However, not all organs lose a large number of cells. The brain is one  example. Healthy older people do not lose many brain cells. Substantial  losses occur mainly in people who have had strokes or who have Alzheimer’s  disease or Parkinson’s disease.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A decline in one organ’s function, whether due to a disorder or to aging  itself, can affect the function of another. For example, if  atherosclerosis narrows blood vessels to the kidneys, the kidneys function  less well because blood flow to them is decreased.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Why Does Function Decline?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    For most people most of the time, the decline in organ function does not  affect the body’s ability to function during normal daily activities.  People usually notice the decline in organ function only when very  demanding tasks are attempted or when a disorder develops. For example,  the amount of blood pumped by the heart during vigorous exercise decreases  as people age. Older people may notice this change only when they play  tennis or jog, not when they take a walk. They may notice changes in brain  function only when they try to learn new information, such as a new  language.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A noticeable decline in function is more likely to result from factors  other than aging itself. The most common culprit is a disorder. A disorder  may cause pain or confusion, make movement more difficult, rob a person of  energy, or lead to depression.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The psychologic, sociologic, and financial situation of older people  affects their behavior. Their behavior, in turn, affects their ability to  function. Fear or worry may cause older people to become less active. If  older people are less active, their ability to function tends to decline.  Older people may fear being hurt or embarrassed, so they withdraw from  their favorite activities and stay home. Older people with balance  problems may fear that they might fall and break a bone. Older people with  urinary incontinence may worry that they could have a wetting accident.  Not having a partner with whom to share experiences or not having adequate  funds may also stop people from participating in activities. People who  participate in meaningful activities tend to remain healthy and live  longer, as do people who have social support (married men in particular),  adequate funds (those in a higher socioeconomic bracket), and a higher  educational level.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Taking preventive measures can help older people remain healthy, active,  and able to function.1 Older people can develop healthy habits and  continue to participate in activities. Learning to recognize situations  and tendencies (such as fear) that can lead to further problems can help.  Having a positive attitude toward aging—expecting life to continue to be  full, hopeful, and worthwhile—can also help.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    If older people remain fit and well, they do not lose their ability to  remember, learn, think, and reason. They can remain physically active and  capable. They can adapt to change. They can resist most disorders. When they develop a disorder, they can tolerate  and respond to medical and surgical treatments and usually recover.","brand":"Ballantine Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302694080741,"sku":"NP9780345482747","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780345482747.jpg?v=1767740479","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-merck-manual-of-health-aging-isbn-9780345482747","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}