Abstract
Ageing, in a natural way, leads to the gradual worsening of the functional capacity of all systems and, eventually, to death. This process is strongly associated with higher metabolic and oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation, accumulation of DNA mutations and increased levels of related damage. Detrimental changes that accumulate in body cells and tissues with time raise the vulnerability to environmental challenges and enhance the risk of major chronic diseases and mortality. There are several theses concerning the mechanisms of ageing: genetic, free radical telomerase, mitochondrial decline, metabolic damage, cellular senescence, neuroendocrine theory, Hay-flick limit and membrane theories, cellular death as well as the accumulation of toxic and non-toxic garbage. Moreover, ageing is associated with structural changes within the myocardium, cardiac conduction system, the endocardium as well as the vasculature. With time, the cardiac structures lose elasticity, and fibrotic changes occur in the heart valves. Ageing is also associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis. The results of studies suggest that some natural compounds may slow down this process and protect against age-related diseases. Animal studies imply that some of them may prolong the lifespan; however, this trend is not so obvious in humans.
Highlights
Ageing is a natural process that exerts an impact on organism physiology, leading to reduced ability to survive stress as well as progressive functional impairment and death [1,2]
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 200 mg of cocoa polyphenols as a part of the diet is recommended to be consumed daily in order to improve endothelium-dependent vasodilation [242]
Detrimental changes that accumulate with time in body cells and tissues are associated with the systematic dysfunction of almost all the organs, increasing the risk of major chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and mortality
Summary
Ageing is a natural process that exerts an impact on organism physiology, leading to reduced ability to survive stress as well as progressive functional impairment and death [1,2]. Various detrimental changes progressively accumulate in cells and tissues, resulting in the weakening of their functioning, systematic dysfunction of almost all organs, increasing the vulnerability to environmental challenges and enhancing the risk of major chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and mortality [1,4,5,6]. The prevalence of these chronic diseases has been estimated to be responsible for more than 70% of the deaths among Americans 65 years of age and older [4].
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