Pulmonary & Respiratory Medicine

Lung diseases in an ageing population

Maintaining excellent lung health will become increasingly difficult for present and future doctors as the European population ages. The natural defences change as we age because the mucosa in both the upper and lower airways undergoes atrophic alterations. Elderly persons frequently swallow with more aspiration, and neuromuscular deficiency may make coughing more difficult. Age-related changes in cellular and humoral immunity are also common. To varied degrees, each of these causes contributes to the substantial rise in lung infections that comes with ageing and the high morbidity and death that goes along with it. Debilitating infections may be avoided with the help of physical exercise, a thorough vaccination programmer, and a healthy diet.