Disuse and aging, 2009

Abstract

Background: Knowledge of the basic processes determinative of the life courses of older persons has progressed dramatically in the past few years. This article is an update of a similar survey performed 27 years ago.

Methods: A literature review of recent contributions gathered from a variety of disciplines seeks a more sturdy and consistent heuristic from which derivative work may proceed.

Results: Publications from basic and clinical sciences as well as related nonmedical fields reveal a new conceptual framework for the understanding of human aging, which suggests a broader framework of contributing agencies and their policy implications.

Conclusions: Aging is not a disease and therefore demands a different lens for analysis. This article provides a deeper focus and insists on the inclusion of a heightened sense of the participation of time. Incorporation of the imperatives applied by the Second Law of Thermodynamics is the foundation of the new definitions.