Changes after 70 years of age

Senescence or old age can be divided into 3 stages: 60 to 70 years, 72 to 90 years and over 90 years. What changes occur after the age of 70 in our body and mind? How does changing into this decade affect us?

Index

• Physical and mental changes after 70 years of age
• Can these changes be avoided or reduced?

Physical and mental changes after 70 years of age
Obviously, these changes that we will talk about below do not occur equally in all people since aging is determined in a small part by our genetics and in a much larger part by our habits, our lifestyle, etc.

Therefore, we do not all age in the same way or at the same time, although there are some changes that occur in most people after the age of 70, that is, the second stage of senescence known as old age:

1. Decrease in strength and muscle mass: as we age, we lose muscle mass (sarcopenia), which leads to a decrease in our strength, mobility and ability to perform certain physical activities. This loss is accentuated after the age of 70, especially if we do not exercise regularly.

2. Decrease in bone mass: similarly, bone density and bone exchange decreases, especially in old age, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Balance and agility may decrease, which may increase the risk of falls.

3. Changes in vision and hearing: difficulty in focusing on close objects or presbyopia is the most common vision problem at this age, although others such as loss of vision at night or more serious diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration may also occur. As for hearing, the ability to hear certain tones is gradually lost, especially when there is a lot of noise or commotion, which can affect communication and social interaction.

4. Changes in the skin and hair: the skin may become thinner and more fragile, and wrinkles and spots may appear. The skin loses collagen from the age of 40 at a rate of 1% per year, so that by the age of 70 it has lost 30% of its production, which increases dryness and wrinkles. As for hair, graying, which begins at age 30, accelerates after age 50 and, at age 70, it is normal to have all white hair and few strands of the original color. It can also become thinner and fall out, especially in men, many of whom go bald at this age.

5. Cognitive changes: Although aging does not necessarily imply a significant decline in cognitive function, some people may experience mild problems with memory and processing speed. Even in those who do not suffer from a senile dementia disease such as Alzheimer's, mild memory loss and a feeling that our brain is “slowing down” are more common after the age of 70.

6. Changes in sleep: problems falling asleep, frequent awakenings or sleeping fewer hours at night and getting up earlier is very common at this age. The problem is that lack of sleep can in turn lead to other health disorders such as fatigue, mood swings, depression, etc.

7. Emotional changes: some people may experience emotional changes, such as a greater susceptibility to depression or anxiety, or a greater wisdom and acceptance of life. If you are one of the former, you should take care of your mental health as it influences our physical condition and longevity. If, on the other hand, you have accepted old age and the good things this age has to offer, congratulations

8. Changes in height: it is true that from the age of 40 we lose height and, on average, we lose 1 cm every 10 years, which means measuring between 2.5 and 7.5 cm less than when we were young. The good news is that this loss of height can be prevented with healthy lifestyle habits.

9. Changes in cells: A new study has revealed that blood cells become much weaker after the age of 70. After analyzing blood cells from many people from birth to age 80, they discovered a process that causes a “catastrophic” change in blood composition in old age. Specifically, an abrupt and universal loss of clonal diversity was revealed after the age of 70.

This change increases the risk of leukemia or anemia and decreases the effectiveness of white blood cells in fighting pathogens. Age-related phenotypes in the blood include anemia, loss of regenerative capacity, remodeling of the bone marrow microenvironment, and increased risk of blood cancers, phenotypes that increase dramatically in prevalence after age 70.

Moreover, this alteration may explain the decline in health that many people experience when they turn 70. And it is believed that not only blood cells suffer from this process, but that it could happen to all cells. Clonal expansion with abrupt collapse of stem cell diversity may be a feature of aging that generalizes beyond human blood. Many human organ systems studied to date, including skin, bronchus, endometrium and esophagus show age-related clonal expansion with driver mutations.

Can these changes be avoided or reduced?
Yes! That's the best part of aging, that we can slow it down and delay it if we start taking care of ourselves now. To do this, you know, the basic pillars:

1- Healthy diet, enhancing fresh and natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, whole grains, seeds, nuts... that provide us with all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants we need. This also implies avoiding ultra-processed foods, reducing sugars and avoiding alcohol.

2- A lot of physical exercise, regular and combining aerobic exercises with other resistance exercises to strengthen muscle mass.

3- Go to regular medical check-ups to detect any problem as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is key.

4- Maintain our mental health by avoiding stress and strengthening our social circle.

5- Sleep between 7 and 8 hours a day on a regular basis to respect our circadian rhythms.

6- Take care of our skin inside and out through a healthy diet, plenty of water, sunscreen and creams rich in antioxidant and anti-wrinkle products.

7- Keep our brain active through new resolutions, challenges, studies, reading, etc.

8- Resorting to anti-aging supplements that act directly on the causes of aging.

And, although it is best to start taking care of yourself as soon as possible, even if you are 70 years old, you can adopt these lifestyle habits and improve your health and slow down your aging.

Key Ideas

• The most common changes in the 70's are decreased strength and muscle mass, decreased bone mass, vision and hearing changes, skin and hair changes, cognitive changes, sleep problems, emotional changes, loss of height and cellular changes.
• To delay these changes we must follow a healthy diet, do a lot of physical exercise, go to medical check-ups, maintain our mental health, sleep between 7 and 8 hours, take care of our skin, keep our brain active, use anti-aging supplements.

 For those looking to take proactive steps towards a healthier, longer life, explore our Anti-Aging and Longevity Plan and AntiAge Bundle for comprehensive solutions.