Effects of Glucose/Insulin Perturbations on Aging and Chronic Disorders of Aging - Assignment Example

Perhaps the most important change in aging is increased glucose intolerance. The causes are enhanced insulin resistance at the receptor level or disturbances in the post-receptor level. The compromised sensitivity of pancreatic islet beta-cell to a glucose load is also a factor. Recent studies indicate that insulin resistance with resultant hyperinsulinemia and/or hyperglycemia can both be the cause and effect of several age-induced chronic disorders, chronic age-related metabolic perturbations.

Several diseases including noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, and resultant atherosclerosis have all been ascribed to aging. High circulating glucose and other reducing sugars can have enzymatic reactions with proteins and nucleic acids to form various products in a mechanism identical to that in diabetes and enhanced lipid peroxidation as a result of accelerated free radical generation as a result of this may lead to atherosclerosis. Free radicals of oxygen are important causes of tissue damage in the aging process.

These include inflammatory disease syndromes, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration, and diabetes itself.