Charles V. Mobbs Livres

Increased adiposity and decreased muscle mass contribute substantially to age-dependent disease and disability. In particular age-related increase in adiposity is quickly becoming a major threat to public health throughout the world. Although the hypothesis that age-related changes in body composition are due to lifestyle choices alone is well accepted, it is a vast oversimplification. This volume reflects the current knowledge in this rapidly developing field of research. The first part of the book discusses the extent to which increased adiposity contributes to age-related diseases and longevity. The 'obesity paradox', describing the protective role of overweight in decreasing mortality while increasing pathology, is covered in depth. Further chapters address specific aspects of the regulation of energy balance during aging, including the effects of changes in food intake. Finally the causes and consequences of loss of muscle mass and age-related osteoporosis are examined. A valuable help for physicians treating elderly patients, this book will also be of great interest to researchers studying energy balance, muscle physiology, bone disease, and other aspects of aging.

Dietary restriction uniquely and robustly increases maximum lifespan and greatly reduces age-related diseases in many species, including yeast, flies, nematodes, and mammals. To study mechanisms mediating the protective effects of dietary restriction, the National Institute of Aging convened a program involving several leading gerontological laboratories. Results from many of these, as well as from other leading research institutions in the field, are presented in this book. The first three papers address general molecular mechanisms, derived in part from recent DNA microarray studies, that may mediate protective effects of dietary restriction. The subsequent articles examine specific model systems, including flies, nematodes and non-human primates, that have provided exciting new information about these mechanisms. Finally, mechanisms of dietary restriction mediating protective effects against cancer and neurological diseases are discussed. In addition to gerontologists and geriatricians, many other medical and nonmedical professionals in the field will find a great wealth of information on possible interventions that may ameliorate age-related diseases.

One of the most demanding aspects regarding the endocrinology of aging is to determine the extent to which hormones change with age, independent of age-related pathologies, and the clinical significance of these changes. The emphasis of the present volume is on function, as it is of particular interest to many nonspecialists under what circumstances endocrine therapy may be useful in the elderly. For this purpose, leading investigators in their respective fields review the most important hormonal systems affected by aging. Furthermore, to facilitate the utility of the reviews particularly for nonspecialists, the book emphasizes the critical analysis of specific issues: The extent to which the hormones considered really do change with age, especially in humans; the physiological significance and the causes of these changes; and the prospects for treatment. Additionally, this volume also includes reviews on subjects such as cytokines, the sympathetic nervous system and leptin, which have not been traditionally considered in reviews of endocrine systems. However, while the concept of hormone replacement in the elderly is promising, as the chapters in the present volume indicate, much more research is necessary to determine under what circumstances such therapy is appropriate rather than counterproductive.