Aging and gastrointestinal physiology.
This article reviews the effects of aging on the immune system, specifically the role of apoptosis. Nutrition and malnutrition in the elderly and their implications are examined. The structural and functional changes that occur with aging in the gastrointestinal tract are also described. Medical care for the elderly population can significantly be improved by the understanding of the physiology of aging in the gastrointestinal tract. This improved understanding can assist in distinguishing disease states from normal changes that occur with age.
Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10003, USA.
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MB
Blechman
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AM
Gelb
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D004068:Digestive System Physiological Phenomena; D006801:Humans