Apn. Majumdar et al., EFFECT OF AGING ON THE GASTROINTESTINAL-TRACT AND THE PANCREAS, Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 215(2), 1997, pp. 134-144
With estimates that about 14% of the U.S. population will be over 65 y
ears old by the end of this century, scientific research has attempted
to achieve a better understanding of the aging process and of disease
s that are expressed in higher incidence with advancing age. Because o
f its high rate of cell turnover and continual renewal, the mucosa of
the gastrointestinal (GI) tract appears particularly susceptible to ag
e-related disruptions in the normal cell proliferative process. This m
ay translate into altered function that may result in the induction of
malnutrition or malabsorption of particular nutrients, or a greater i
ncidence of GI diseases, such as neoplasia. This review will examine t
he evidence for age-related alterations in the structural and function
al properties of different regions of the GI tract and the pancreas, a
nd how they may relate to malnutrition or disease processes.