What to Expect at 65 Years Old
Remember puberty? Did your body undergo those awkward changes around the preteen or teen years? You went through many changes, from hair growing in strange places to hormones and strange feelings.
The age of 65 is very similar. One in four people 65 years and older fall.
Falls can be life-threatening for people over 65. Even the most likely outcomes can be serious, like brain injury and broken bones. Hip fractures are a common cause of hospitalization for seniors who fall. This results in an average of 300,000 senior citizens being admitted to hospitals each year. Studies have shown that hip fractures and mortality are closely related. In 31-year-old research published in 2019, the mortality rate for seniors with hip fractures is 21% after one year if they are surgically treated.
Even if treated, massive injuries can have a debilitating effect on the elderly, as they affect their ability to move and remain pain-free.
As a side-effect, many drugs can cause dizziness or lightheadedness. This, combined with weakened muscles that affect your balance, can be disastrous. If you are a senior, it may be necessary to adjust your dosage to prevent falls. You should also speak to your doctor about any dizziness and do exercises you enjoy to maintain strength and balance.
Your Aging Liver
The liver is the filter of your body. It processes all prescription and OTC medications, herbal supplements, vitamins, and clinical treatments. The liver filters all of your blood. The liver filters out “poisons,” such as alcohol or prescription drugs, from your blood.
Your liver changes as you age. The traffic is backed up, and each “car” has to wait in line longer for its turn at the “green light.” (Healthy processed blood). This means that your body is accumulating more cars. In this new traffic jam, a dose you were comfortable with before could be too high.
The liver must break down some drugs to be effective. These drugs may not be as effective if your liver struggles to process them.
As your kidneys age
Like the liver, almost all medications pass by the kidneys. The United States has a 20% rate of acute renal failure due to medications. The kidneys convert waste from blood into urine.
Insufficient representation of seniors in trials
Clinical trials must show efficacy for a new drug before the FDA can approve it. It could be a more effective drug than the ones currently available on the market. It could be an alternative treatment with better results or fewer side effects. The studies must demonstrate that the health benefits of this treatment outweigh any risks.
What happens, however, when the drug is tested on a much younger audience than the senior users who use it?