To investigate whether systemic acid-base equilibrium changes with aging in normal adult humans, we reviewed published articles reporting the acid-base composition of arterial, arterialized venous, or capillary blood in age-identified healthy subjects. We extracted or calculated blood hydrogen ion concentration ([H+]), plasma bicarbonate concentration ([HCO3-]), blood PCO2, and age, and computed a total of 61 age-group means, distributed among eight 10-year intervals from age 20 to 100 years. Using linear regression analysis, we found that with increasing age, there is a significant increase in the steady-state blood [H+] (p. 001), and reduction in steady-state plasma [HCO3-] (p.001), indicative of a progressively worsening low-level metabolic acidosis.

Blood PCO2 decreased with age (p.05), in keeping with the expected respiratory adaptation to metabolic acidosis. Such age-related increasing metabolic acidosis may reflect in part the normal decline of renal function with increasing age. The role of age-related metabolic acidosis in the pathogenesis of the degenerative diseases of aging warrants consideration. In layman's terms, it means that as we get old we have more acid radicals [H+] and less bicarbonate [HCO3-], which brings about age-related metabolic acidosis. This paper is the recognition and treatment of the symptoms, accepting aging as an inevitable fact of life.

Titre du document / Document title
AGE AND SYSTEMIC ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIUM : ANALYSIS OF PUBLISHED DATA

Auteur(s) / Author(s)
FRASSETTO L. ; SEBASTIAN A. ;

Revue / Journal Title
The Journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences (J. gerontol., Ser. A : Biol. sci. med. sci.) ISSN 1079-5006

Source / Source
1996, vol. 51, no1, [Note(s): Sans pagination]

Langue / Language
Anglais

Editeur / Publisher
Gerontological Society of America, Washington, DC, ETATS-UNIS (1995) (Revue)

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