Aging Theory Research Assignment

Running Head: FREE RADICAL THEORY OF AGING 1

Research Article Summary:

Free Radical Theory of Aging

University of Maryland Baltimore County

FREE RADICAL THEORY OF AGING 2

Theories of aging are important aspects of understanding the aging process. The

theories give society different methods to understand how and why aging occurs, even

though not all of the theories are accurate. Most theories of aging have some sort of

research that back them, unlike personal experiences or educated guesses. Theories of

aging change our perception of adults and aging by giving us an understanding of the

process of aging. If we are able to better understand how aging occurs and why it occurs,

society is more likely to accept the process and accept elders. Theories of aging are

relevant to those who work with older adults because theories can help workers focus on

specific aspects of aging to increase care. An example is our knowledge of the

immunological theory. As we age our immune system deteriorates leaving elders more

susceptible to disease; workers can attempt to improve sanitation of elder care to decrease

risk of diseases. The quality of programs and services of older adults can be improved by

the theories because they allow for a better understanding of the development of older

adults, which allows caretakers to improve their approaches to care.

The biological theory of free radicals contributes to the physical aspect of aging.

Free radicals are waste products produced by cells, specifically, molecules of ionized

oxygen that have an extra electron (Moody & Sasser, 2014, p. 21). The free radicals

cause damage because they bond with proteins and other structures in the body, which

can inactivate them and make them unable to function. The amount of free radicals in the

body increase as people age. This causes mutations, damage to organs, and ultimately the

symptoms we see as aging. The body does create antioxidants, which are protection

against free radicals; they find and destroy the free radicals, preventing damage of cells

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(Moody & Sasser, 2014, p. 62). Although it is thought that consuming antioxidants will

slow aging, studies have only shown minimal effects (Moody & Sasser, 2014, p. 62).

Schöttker et al. (2015) studied if free radicals were associated with mortality,

more specifically the association of derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs)

and total thiol levels (TTL) with mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and

cancer. The study was conducted on two groups. The first group was Health, Alcohol and

Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) from Poland, Czech Republic, and

Lithuania. The second group was an eight year follow up from Epidemiologische Studie

zu Chancen der Verhütung, Früherkennung und optimierten Therapie chronischer

Erkrankungen in der älteren Bevölkerung (ESTHER) from Germany. A total of 8,857

participants from Czech Republic, 10,728 participants from Poland, 7,161 participants

from Lithuania, and 5,997 participants from Germany were included in the study.

Participants were a random sample of men and women and aged 45-75 years for HAPIEE

and 56-85 years for ESTHER.

Participants completed self-administered questionnaires for sociodemographic,

lifestyle, and history of disease data. Medical records were consulted for history of

common chronic diseases and cancer. Participants gave blood samples to be examined.

An autoanalyzer was used to measure r-ROMs and TTL levels. Registries were used to

obtain mortality information as there were 1,702 participant deaths during the study.

Cross sectional analyses were conducted for all subjects for mortality from all causes,

cardiovascular disease, cancer and non-cardiovascular diseases, and non-cancer causes.

Each cohort was analyzed separately and pooled by meta-analysis.

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About 35% of deaths were from cardiovascular disease, 45% from cancer, and

20% from other causes. TTL rates mirrored the age differences of the participants; older

participants had higher rates of TTL. d-ROMs levels were similar in participants for

Lithuania, Poland and Germany, and higher for Czech Republic. There was a statistically

significant association between d-ROMs levels and TTL with all-cause mortality. d-

ROMs levels had stronger effect estimates than TTL and were stronger for cardiovascular

disease mortality, cancer mortality, but weaker for non-cardiovascular disease mortality

and non-cancer mortality. TTL was not associated with cancer mortality, non-

cardiovascular disease mortality, or non-cancer mortality.

An association was found between d-ROMs and TTL with all-cause mortality.

There was a strong association between d-ROMs and all major causes of death while

TTL was only associated with cardiovascular disease mortality. These markers can be

useful for predicting diseases in the future and potentially help people prevent mortality

causing diseases. Although antioxidant treatments were not shown very effective, it is

possible for future research to investigate a way to counteract free radicals.

One limitation of the free radical theory is that it only tells us how people

physically age, not why people age. Free radicals build up in the body and cause damage

to organs and can cause diseases, but that does not explain why this process occurs.

Because it is a biological process, there may not be a why- it may happen just because

that is what the body does as it ages. This theory does not explain why many people can

go through their entire life with minimal health complications and then pass away

without problems when they are older. If this theory were the whole story of aging, then

all people should have major health deteriorations in older age until they pass away, but

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that is not how aging works in some people. Although antioxidants have yet to prove very

effective, future studies should consider more investigation into a wider variety of

antioxidants to serve as a protection against free radicals. If it is one day proven effective,

more research should be done to see if antioxidants can be replicated to prevent free

radicals from doing damage in people who cannot produce antioxidants.

In the future I plan to become an occupational therapist, which has the potential to

work with older adults. As an occupational therapist, I can recommend to older adults to

maintain a healthy lifestyle. If adults work out regularly and eat healthy foods, it could

decrease the potential for diseases like cardiovascular disease, which as the study showed

is a predictor for free radicals. Although it was not proven to have many effects, I could

recommend taking antioxidants to reduce the effects of free radicals on the body. If older

adults are able to reduce free radicals, their chance of mortality at an earlier age could

decrease.

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References

Moody, H. R., & Sasser, J. R. (2014). Aging: Concepts and controversies (8 th

ed.). Los

Angeles: Sage Press.

Schöttker, B., Brenner, H., Jansen, E. HJM., Gardiner, J., Peasey, A., Kubinova, R., . . .

Bobak, M. (2015). Evidence for the free radical/oxidative stress theory of ageing

from the CHANCES consortium: a meta-analysis of individual participant data.

BMC Medicine, 13, 1-15. doi: 10.1186/s12916-015-0537-7