N T Scarpace | PubMed Health

PubMed1994

Sympathetic nervous system: aging and exercise.

Both aging and exercise are associated with alterations in regulation of catecholamines. With aging, elevated circulating catecholamines at rest and after stress may result in increased sympathetic nervous system activity. The ability of the catecholaminergic system of older subjects to respond and adapt to environmental challenges is altered during aging. One consequence of these changes may be the increased prevalence of hypertension with age. Exercise training reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in young and elderly hypertensive subjects. The reduction in catecholamine synthesis after training may be linked to the beneficial effects of exercise in hypertensive individuals.

Adrenal Medulla↗

PubMed1994

Effects of exercise on age and disease.

This overview on the integration of exercise into the life-style of the healthy elderly summarizes data on the effects of physical activity on both coronary risk factors and age-induced changes in both cardiac and noncardiac organ systems. It appears that many of the diseases associated with age as well as aging itself can be either treated or blunted by an active life-style. Cardiac, pulmonary, musculoskeletal and metabolic-endocrine changes associated with age and/or disease can show a change in progression as a result of physical activity. This overview sets the tone for the symposium, which covers in depth many of the specific areas affecting the quality of life of the elderly. The exercise prescription is described in this paper and expanded upon in subsequent papers of this symposium, and it is on the basis of these recommendations that many of the age-related changes and risk factors may be forestalled or rectified.

Aged↗