Aging and the Kidney

Aging and the Kidney: Possible Mechanisms, Consequences, and Management Strategies explores the connection between kidney health and overall well-being with increasing age and longevity. The kidney contains both regenerative and terminally differentiated cells, serving as a crossroad for vascular and inflammatory processes, and regulates many conditions associated with chronic, progressive, and debilitating disease. Efforts to slow the decline in kidney function can enhance quality of life in the aging population. This book is organized into three main parts: mechanisms of the aging kidney, clinical consequences, and management and prevention. The first part examines histological, structural, physiological, and functional changes that contribute to age-related declines in kidney function. The role of nutrition and proteomics is also discussed. The second part examines the functional decline in elderly patients and includes subparts on impaired quality of life, sleep quality, fall risk, frailty, depression, and sarcopenia. It also considers unique features of hypertension, diabetes, glomerulonephritis, and peripheral vascular disease. The final part focuses on diagnostic, management, and prevention strategies. The common myths about chronic kidney disease in the elderly are addressed, with particular attention to how a solitary kidney in living donors ages over time. Kidney function and its relationship to neurologic complications, cancers, and cardiovascular disease are explained, along with current treatment approaches, medications, and future directions in the care of elderly patients. This comprehensive work serves as a valuable resource for understanding how aging affects systemic health and offers potential pathways to enhance lifespan and well-being in elderly patients.