Obesity: A Bad Partner for the Elderly
Pp. 425-464 (40)
Henrique Almeida and Delminda Neves
Abstract
Ageing is an unavoidable process that along time conduces to the loss of
function of cells and tissues. Age-related modifications culminate in disease and death
of the organisms. Life expectancy of humans has steadily increased in the last 50 years
and the incidence of age-associated disease has increased too. Among the timedependent
changes that afflict the aged individuals, obesity has gained a great
importance. Adiposity increases in older individuals and tends to accumulate in
visceral space, creating a metabolic threat that, together with senescence-related cell
modifications, results in tissue degeneration increment and disease. In this chapter, the
contribution of obesity to the ageing phenotype is discussed with a special focus on the
senescence of adipose cells. In the final part of the chapter, strategies directed to
mitigate the effects of obesity in old individuals that include bariatric surgery,
nutritional and pharmacological interventions are presented.
Keywords:
Adipokines, Adipose tissue, Adiposity assessment, Antidiabetic
drugs, Brown adipose tissue, Energy restriction mimetics, Epidemiology of
obesity, Epigenetics of ageing and obesity, Genetics of ageing and obesity,
Human ageing, Menopause, MicroRNAs, Obesity paradox, Senescent cells,
Telomere attrition, Visceral white adipose tissue.
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedicine, Experimental Biology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
