Geriatric Medicine

Answer 3 Size of alveolar ducts in the lungs. Increased size of alveolar ducts in the lungs leads to decreased lung surface area with aging. An increased amount of sleep is not required with aging. In fact, elderly persons require less sleep, and part of the sleep is often acquired in short naps during the day. Increased extracellular fluid volume does not occur with aging. Extracellular fluid volume decreases with aging. Increased hepatic blood flow is not a feature of aging; rather, the flow actually decreases. Increased subcutaneous fat, as a percentage of total body mass, is not a change associated with aging. Although fat, as a percentage of total body mass, increases in elderly persons, it redistributes from subcutaneous to truncal areas. This leads to a net loss of subcutaneous fat and creates an increased risk for decubitus ulcers. Click here to return to the questions

Hospital Physician     JCOM     Seminars in Medical Practice Hospital Physician Board Review Manuals About TWC    Subscribe    Contact TWC    Home    Search   Site Map Copyright © 2009, Turner White Communications Updated 1/04/08 • kkj