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Biology of Aging

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Abstract

Principles distilled from geroscience, the scientific study of aging, can facilitate surgical decision making by identifying appropriate surgical candidates, anticipating surgical complications, and predicting functional outcomes. Theories of aging can be divided into program theories that emphasize genetically -driven limits on lifespan and stochastic theories that focus on the accumulation of “wear and tear” with age. These changes lead to distinct patterns of dysfunction in intracellular processes and intercellular communication that culminate in organ system-specific alterations, which are reviewed here. The inter-related concepts of frailty and resilience synthesize these diverse changes into a unified conceptual framework that can be used to support surgical decision making. Frailty, which is defined as increased vulnerability to stress, is a risk factor for surgical complications and poor outcomes. Conversely, resilience is the ability to resist functional decline following health stressors. The assessment of frailty and resilience can be integrated into pre-surgical evaluation to gauge risk, support shared decision-making, and improve patient outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Daniel Parker & Mitchell Heflin

Authors
  1. Daniel Parker
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  2. Mitchell Heflin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mitchell Heflin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Surgical Service, Yale University School of Medicine VA Connecticut Health Care System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Ronnie A. Rosenthal

  2. SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, National Capital Region Johns Hopkins Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Michael E. Zenilman

  3. Center for Geriatric Surgery, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Mark R. Katlic

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Surgery, Center for Geriatric Surgery, Sinai Hospital and Northwest Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Mark R. Katlic

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Parker, D., Heflin, M. (2017). Biology of Aging. In: Rosenthal, R., Zenilman, M., Katlic, M. (eds) Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20317-1_3-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20317-1_3-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20317-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20317-1

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