WE all accept that getting older is inevitable, and nowleading clinicians have revealed the exact age whendifferent body parts start to decline, most alarmingbeing the brain and lungs. French doctors have found that the quality of men's'sperm starts to deteriorate by 35, so that by the time aman is 45 a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage.Here, with the help of leading clinicians, Angela Epsteintells the Daily Mail the ages when different parts of thebody start to lose their battle with time. BRAIN - Starts aging at 20As we get older, the number of nerve cells - or neurons -in the brain decrease. We start with around 100 billion,but in our 20s this number starts to decline. By 40, wecould be losing up to 10,000 per day, affecting memory,co-ordination and brain function. GUT - Starts aging at 55.A healthy gut has a good balance between harmful and'friendly' bacteria. But levels of friendly bacteria inthe gut drop significantly after 55, particularly in the largeintestine, says Tom MacDonald, professor of immunologyat Barts And The London medical school. As a result, wesuffer from poor digestion and an increased risk ofgut disease. Constipatio n is more likely as we age, as theflow of digestive juices from the stomach, liver,pancreas and small intestine slows down. BREASTS - Start aging at 35BY their mid-30s, woman's breasts start losing tissueand fat, reducing size and fullness. Sagging startsproperly at 40 and the aureole(the area surrounding the nipple) can shrink considerably. BLADDER - Starts aging at 65Loss of bladder control is more likely when you hit 65.Women are more vulnerable to bladder problems as, afterthe menopause, declining estrogen levels make tissues inthe urethra - the tube through which urine passes - thinnerand weaker, reducing bladder support. Bladder capacity inan older adult generally is about half that of a younger person- about two cups in a 30-year-old and one cup in a 70-year-old. ... LUNGS - Start aging at 20Lung capacity slowly starts to decrease from the age of 20.By the age of 40, some people are already experiencingbreathlessness. This is partly because the muscles andthe rib cage which control breathing stiffen up. VOICE - Starts aging at 65Our voices become quieter and hoarser with age.The soft tissues in the voice box (larynx) weaken,affecting the pitch, loudness and quality of the voice.A woman's voice may become huskier and lower in pitch,whereas a man's might become thinner and higher. EYES - Start aging at 40Glasses are the norm for many over-40s as failingeyesight kicks in - usually long-sightedness, affecting our ability to see objects up close. HEART - Starts aging at 40The heart pumps blood less effectively around the bodyas we get older. This is because blood vessels becomeless elastic, while arteries can harden or become blockedbecause of fatty deposits forming on the coronary arteries- caused by eating too much saturated fat. The blood supplyto the heart is then reduced, resulting in painful angina.Men over 45 and women over 55 are at greaterrisk of a heart attack. LIVER - Starts aging at 70This is the only organ in the body which seems todefy the aging process. KIDNEYS - Starts aging at 50With kidneys, the number of filtering units (nephrons)that remove waste from the bloodstream starts toreduce in middle age. PROSTATE - Starts aging at 50The prostate often becomes enlarged with age, leading toproblems such as increased need to urinate, says ProfessorRoger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London .This is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia and affectshalf of men over 50, but rarely those under 40. Itoccurs when the prostate absorbs large amounts of themale sex hormone testosterone, which increases thegrowth of cells in the prostate. A normal prostate is thesize of a walnut, but the condition can increase thisto the size of a tangerine. BONES - Start aging at 35'Throughout our life, old bone is broken down by cellscalled osteoclasts and replaced by bone-building cellscalled osteoblasts - a process called bone turnover,'explains Robert Moots, professor of rheumatology atAintree University Hospital in Liverpool . Children's bonegrowth is rapid - the skeleton takes just two yearsto renewitself completely. In adults, this can take ten years.Until our mid-20s, bone density is still increasing.But at 35 bone loss begins as part of thenatural ageing process. TEETH - Start aging at 40As we age, we produce less saliva, which washes awaybacteria, so teeth and gums are more vulnerable to decay.Receding gums - when tissue is lost from gums aroundthe teeth - is common in adults over 40. MUSCLES - Start aging at 30Muscle is constantly being built up and broken down,a process which is well balanced in young adults.However, by the time we're 30, breakdown is greaterthan buildup, explains Professor Robert Moots. Once adultsreach 40, they start to lose between 0.5 and 2 per centof their muscle each year. Regular exercise canhelp prevent this. HEARING - Starts aging mid-50sMore than half of people over 60 lose hearing becauseof their age, according to the Royal NationalInstitute for the Deaf. SKIN - Starts aging mid-20sThe skin starts to age naturally in your mid-20s. TASTE AND SMELL - Start aging at 60We start out in life with about 10,000 taste buds scatteredon the tongue. This number can halve later in life. After weturn 60, taste and smell gradually decline, partly as a resultof the normal ageing process. FERTILITY - Starts aging at 35Female fertility begins to decline after 35, as the numberand quality of eggs in the ovaries start to fall. The lining ofthe womb may become thinner, making it less likely for afertilised egg to take, and also creating anenvironment hostile to sperm. HAIR - Starts aging at 30Male hair loss usually begins in the 30s. Hair is made in tinypouches just under the skin's surface, known as follices.A hair normally grows from each follicle for about threeyears, is then shed, and a new hair grows. Most peoplewill have some grey hair by the age of 35. When we areyoung, our hair is coloured by the pigments produced bycells in the hair follicle known as melanocytes. Subscribe to WowMailz
WE all accept that getting older is inevitable, and now
leading clinicians have revealed the exact age when
different body parts start to decline, most alarming
being the brain and lungs.
French doctors have found that the quality of men's'
sperm starts to deteriorate by 35, so that by the time a
man is 45 a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Here, with the help of leading clinicians, Angela Epstein
tells the Daily Mail the ages when different parts of the
body start to lose their battle with time.
BRAIN - Starts aging at 20
As we get older, the number of nerve cells - or neurons -
in the brain decrease. We start with around 100 billion,
but in our 20s this number starts to decline. By 40, we
could be losing up to 10,000 per day, affecting memory,
co-ordination and brain function.
GUT - Starts aging at 55.
A healthy gut has a good balance between harmful and
'friendly' bacteria. But levels of friendly bacteria in
the gut drop significantly after 55, particularly in the large
intestine, says Tom MacDonald, professor of immunology
at Barts And The London medical school. As a result, we
suffer from poor digestion and an increased risk of
gut disease. Constipatio n is more likely as we age, as the
flow of digestive juices from the stomach, liver,
pancreas and small intestine slows down.
BREASTS - Start aging at 35
BY their mid-30s, woman's breasts start losing tissue
and fat, reducing size and fullness. Sagging starts
properly at 40 and the aureole
(the area surrounding the nipple) can shrink considerably.
BLADDER - Starts aging at 65
Loss of bladder control is more likely when you hit 65.
Women are more vulnerable to bladder problems as, after
the menopause, declining estrogen levels make tissues in
the urethra - the tube through which urine passes - thinner
and weaker, reducing bladder support. Bladder capacity in
an older adult generally is about half that of a younger person
- about two cups in a 30-year-old and one cup in a 70-year-old. ...
LUNGS - Start aging at 20
Lung capacity slowly starts to decrease from the age of 20.
By the age of 40, some people are already experiencing
breathlessness. This is partly because the muscles and
the rib cage which control breathing stiffen up.
VOICE - Starts aging at 65
Our voices become quieter and hoarser with age.
The soft tissues in the voice box (larynx) weaken,
affecting the pitch, loudness and quality of the voice.
A woman's voice may become huskier and lower in pitch,
whereas a man's might become thinner and higher.
EYES - Start aging at 40
Glasses are the norm for many over-40s as failing
eyesight kicks in - usually long-sightedness, affecting our ability to see objects up close.
HEART - Starts aging at 40
The heart pumps blood less effectively around the body
as we get older. This is because blood vessels become
less elastic, while arteries can harden or become blocked
because of fatty deposits forming on the coronary arteries
- caused by eating too much saturated fat. The blood supply
to the heart is then reduced, resulting in painful angina.
Men over 45 and women over 55 are at greater
risk of a heart attack.
LIVER - Starts aging at 70
This is the only organ in the body which seems to
defy the aging process.
KIDNEYS - Starts aging at 50
With kidneys, the number of filtering units (nephrons)
that remove waste from the bloodstream starts to
reduce in middle age.
PROSTATE - Starts aging at 50
The prostate often becomes enlarged with age, leading to
problems such as increased need to urinate, says Professor
Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London .
This is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia and affects
half of men over 50, but rarely those under 40. It
occurs when the prostate absorbs large amounts of the
male sex hormone testosterone, which increases the
growth of cells in the prostate. A normal prostate is the
size of a walnut, but the condition can increase this
to the size of a tangerine.
BONES - Start aging at 35
'Throughout our life, old bone is broken down by cells
called osteoclasts and replaced by bone-building cells
called osteoblasts - a process called bone turnover,'
explains Robert Moots, professor of rheumatology at
Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool . Children's bone
growth is rapid - the skeleton takes just two years
to renew
itself completely. In adults, this can take ten years.
Until our mid-20s, bone density is still increasing.
But at 35 bone loss begins as part of the
natural ageing process.
TEETH - Start aging at 40
As we age, we produce less saliva, which washes away
bacteria, so teeth and gums are more vulnerable to decay.
Receding gums - when tissue is lost from gums around
the teeth - is common in adults over 40.
MUSCLES - Start aging at 30
Muscle is constantly being built up and broken down,
a process which is well balanced in young adults.
However, by the time we're 30, breakdown is greater
than buildup, explains Professor Robert Moots. Once adults
reach 40, they start to lose between 0.5 and 2 per cent
of their muscle each year. Regular exercise can
help prevent this.
HEARING - Starts aging mid-50s
More than half of people over 60 lose hearing because
of their age, according to the Royal National
Institute for the Deaf.
SKIN - Starts aging mid-20s
The skin starts to age naturally in your mid-20s.
TASTE AND SMELL - Start aging at 60
We start out in life with about 10,000 taste buds scattered
on the tongue. This number can halve later in life. After we
turn 60, taste and smell gradually decline, partly as a result
of the normal ageing process.
FERTILITY - Starts aging at 35
Female fertility begins to decline after 35, as the number
and quality of eggs in the ovaries start to fall. The lining of
the womb may become thinner, making it less likely for a
fertilised egg to take, and also creating an
environment hostile to sperm.
HAIR - Starts aging at 30
Male hair loss usually begins in the 30s. Hair is made in tiny
pouches just under the skin's surface, known as follices.
A hair normally grows from each follicle for about three
years, is then shed, and a new hair grows. Most people
will have some grey hair by the age of 35. When we are
young, our hair is coloured by the pigments produced by
cells in the hair follicle known as melanocytes.
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