People in developed countries are living longer and, just as the aged population around the world is steadily growing, the number of adults eighty-five and older in the United States is projected to quadruple to twenty-one million people by 2050. The aging of our population has huge implications for baby boomers and their children, and has generated a greater interest in the causes and effects of aging. Our Aging Bodies provides a clear, scientifically based explanation of what happens to all the major organ systems and bodily processes-such as the cardiovascular and digestive systems-as people age. The first section is an overview of secondary aging-changes that occur with age that are related to disease and the environment-and include the effect of such things as diet, humor, and exercise. Readers will also learn about primary aging-intrinsic changes that occur with the aging of specific organs and body systems (including the prostate, the heart, the digestive system, and the brain). Throughout the book, Gary F. Merrill |