Smith NT, Starko KR. The physiology and pharmacology of growing old, as shown in body simulation. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2005; 111:488-91

PMID: 15718784

Abstract

Geriatric medicine is becoming increasingly important, due to the aging of our population. Healthcare givers need methods that can teach efficiently and painlessly the complexities involved with aging. One important tool in this area comprises modeling and simulation. Accordingly, we present a detailed model and simulation of the aging process. To implement the aging process, we changed over 50 existing parameters that are part of a physiologic, pharmacologic multiple transport model of the human body. To evaluate the new patients, we imposed three stresses: anesthesia induction, hemorrhage and apnea. Five patients were used: a young healthy patient and four healthy, but elderly, patients, aged 65, 75, 85 and 95 years. We observed an age-related response to the stresses. The elderly patients fared worse with anesthetic induction and with hemorrhage, but better with apnea. Some independent data support our results.