- acute condition
- health condition that tends to occur quickly and lasts only a brief period of time
- age-related macular degeneration
- blurring and potential loss of vision in the center of the field of vision as a result of damage to the central part of the retina (macula)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- most common form of dementia; progressive, fatal, and characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain and affecting memory before limiting other cognitive abilities and eventually motor skills
- autobiographical memory
- memories related to personal life and history, with both episodic and semantic components
- cataract
- cloudy area on the typically clear lens of the eye caused by a buildup of protein
- cellular clock theory
- theory that cells can divide to reproduce themselves only a limited number of times, and as they reach this number, the body is no longer able to replace old or damaged cells with new ones
- chronic condition
- health condition that may develop slowly over time and last for a long duration
- cognitive reserve
- characteristics that are protective against dementia by delaying onset and reducing symptoms
- compression of morbidity
- idea that a healthy lifestyle can extend life expectancy while also decreasing the time we spend in poor health or a highly dependent state
- dementia
- wide variety of conditions characterized by damage to the brain, including cell death that interferes with daily functioning and ability to live independently
- dry eye syndrome
- eye condition that occurs when eyes don’t produce enough tears
- free radical theory
- theory that free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that are a by-product of food metabolization, damage tissues or cells, and this damage accumulates as people get older
- geropsychology
- subfield of psychology that focuses on enhancing the mental health of older adults
- glaucoma
- vision impairment caused by increased pressure inside the eye and resulting damage to the optic nerve
- hemorrhagic stroke
- event in which a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, resulting in bleeding that deprives an area of the brain of sufficient blood flow and oxygen that can be fatal
- hormonal stress theory of aging (also, neuroendocrine theory)
- theory that as we age, stress hormones stay elevated longer after a stressful response, potentially contributing to aging-associated health problems like hypertension and diabetes
- hypoxia
- condition in which lack of oxygen in body tissue causes damage
- ischemic stroke
- event in which a blood clot prevents an area of the brain from receiving enough blood or oxygen
- macula
- central part of the retina in the eye
- Medicaid
- U.S. federal program that pays for some health-care costs of individuals with low income
- Medicare
- U.S. federal program that pays for some health-care costs of older adults
- mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
- cognitive decline that is more severe than normative but below the threshold for a dementia-related diagnosis
- osteoporosis
- condition characterized by extensive loss of bone mass and weakening of the bones in later life
- positivity effect
- tendency to remember things from our past more positively as we get older
- presbycusis
- age-related hearing decline that starts with the inability to hear high-pitch frequencies
- presbyopia
- age-related decline in vision due to stiffening of the lens that results in more difficulty seeing things that are close
- primary aging
- natural healthy aging process that has not been accelerated or worsened as a result of disease
- sarcopenia
- loss of muscle mass that occurs in later life
- secondary aging
- aging that has been accelerated and worsened by disease processes, lifestyle choices, or environmental factors
- sundowning
- tendency for dementia symptoms to worsen in the evening
- telomere
- protective strand of DNA on the tip of each chromosome that becomes shorter each time a cell divides until the cell is no longer able to divide any more
- terminal decline
- accelerated and nonnormative declines in cognitive ability that can occur one to five years before death
- tertiary aging
- more rapid and general declines that may occur in the months and years prior to death
- universal health care
- system that makes health-care services accessible to all citizens with little or no out-of-pocket costs, because the government subsidizes the cost through taxes
- vertigo
- condition that causes dizziness or the sensation of moving when still
- wear and tear theory
- theory that the use of our bodies results in unrepaired damage that accumulates over time, resulting in aging
- wisdom
- ability to use intellect and past experiences to make good decisions about the future