Human Organ Aging Timeline (Continued) and the Importance of Health Management

The heart begins to age around 40. As our bodies age, the heart's efficiency in pumping blood throughout the body decreases because blood vessels gradually lose elasticity, and arteries may harden or become blocked. These changes are caused by the accumulation of fat in the coronary arteries: consuming too much saturated fat. This results in reduced blood flow to the heart, causing angina. Men over 45 and women over 55 have a higher risk of heart attacks. A new study by a British pharmaceutical company found that the average Briton's heart is 5 years older than their actual age, possibly related to obesity and lack of exercise.

Kidneys begin to age at 50, and the kidney's filtration rate starts to decrease from that age. Kidney filtration removes waste products from the bloodstream. A decrease in filtration rate results in the loss of the ability to hold urine at night, requiring frequent trips to the bathroom. A 75-year-old's kidney filtration rate is only half that of a 30-year-old.

The prostate gland begins to age at 50. Professor Roger Gibb, director of the London Prostate Centre, states that the prostate often enlarges with age, causing problems including increased urination frequency. This is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), affecting half of men over 50, but rarely in men under 40. The prostate absorbs large amounts of testosterone, which accelerates the growth of prostate cells, leading to BPH. A normal prostate is about the size of a walnut, but an enlarged prostate can be as large as an orange.

Hearing begins to decline around age 55. According to data from the Royal Society for the Deaf in the UK, more than half of people over 60 will experience hearing loss due to aging. This is called age-related hearing loss, which is caused by the loss of "hair cells." The hair sensory cells in the inner ear can receive sound vibrations and transmit them to the brain.

The gut begins to age at 55, and a healthy gut maintains a good balance between harmful and beneficial bacteria. Professor Tom McDonald, an immunology professor at Bartz and London Medical School, explains that the number of friendly bacteria in the gut begins to decline significantly after age 55, especially in the large intestine. This results in decreased digestive function and an increased risk of intestinal diseases. As we age, the flow of digestive fluids from the stomach, liver, pancreas, and small intestine decreases, increasing the likelihood of constipation.

Our sense of taste and smell begin to decline around age 60. We are born with approximately 10,000 taste buds on our tongues. This number may halve as we age. After 60, our sense of taste and smell gradually declines, partly as a result of the normal aging process. This decline can be accelerated by problems such as nasal polyps or sinus cavities. It can also be a cumulative result of years of smoking.

The bladder begins to age at 65, and by then, we are more likely to lose control of it. At this time, the bladder may contract suddenly, even before it is full. Women are more prone to bladder problems. During menopause, declining estrogen levels cause the urethral tissue to become thinner and weaker, thus reducing the bladder's support function. By middle age, bladder capacity is generally only about half that of a younger person. If a 30-year-old's bladder can hold two cups of urine, a 70-year-old's can only hold one. This leads to more frequent urination, especially since decreased muscle elasticity prevents the bladder from emptying completely, potentially causing urinary tract infections.

Voice begins to decline around age 65. As we age, our voices become softer and increasingly hoarse. This is because the soft tissues in the throat weaken, affecting the tone, loudness, and quality of the voice. At this stage, women's voices become increasingly hoarse and lower in pitch, while men's voices become weaker and higher in pitch.

The liver begins to age at age 70, and it appears to be the only organ in the body that can defy the aging process. David Lloyd, a consultant liver surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary in the UK, explains, "Liver cells have an incredibly strong regenerative capacity." He states that after a piece of liver is surgically removed, it can grow back into a complete liver within three months. Furthermore, if the donor does not drink alcohol, use drugs, or have any infectious diseases, a liver from a 70-year-old can be transplanted into a 20-year-old.

Therefore, around the age of 30, our bodies begin to decline. As we age, we also start experiencing pain. A November 2016 report on the British Daily Mail website stated: A study found that people start experiencing headaches or migraines at age 24, back pain at age 33, and the first gray hair around age 39. Researchers have compiled a timeline for adults to begin experiencing specific health problems. A survey of 2,000 people found that people in their 30s generally feel joint fragility at age 32 and experience knee problems at age 37. Most women sweat more by age 50, while the average person experiences arthritis and joint pain around age 40. The report stated that despite being healthy in their youth, one in five people said they are now experiencing health problems due to past sports injuries. As we age, more health problems are inevitable. Two-thirds of people over 30 say they can feel a decline in health with age. However, 40% said they believe their aging process is better than their parents'; and 60% claimed that they pay more attention to their health as they get older. People are primarily concerned with heart health, memory problems, and stress levels, rather than minor aches and pains. Forty percent of adults said they felt healthiest in their 20s, while a quarter believed they were in their 30s. Half said they believe cold weather has a greater impact on health as people age. Thirty percent said the lifestyle choices they made in their youth are now showing consequences. Notably, the main culprits for pain now are irregular eating habits, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption, and insufficient sleep. Smoking and excessive sunbathing are bad habits many said they've developed. Ten percent complained that shift work has negatively impacted their health, and a quarter said high work stress has led to some health problems. The study also found that the average person gets sick three times a year but doesn't see a doctor.

Understanding this natural law correctly helps us manage our bodies better. Knowing this allows us to cherish life more, focus on quality of life, develop scientific concepts, and cultivate healthy, green lifestyle habits. We already know that after birth, a person's life index is generally positive. Except for those with congenital diseases, around age 30, the life index begins to change and decline. During this process, two aspects deserve our attention: organ aging and tissue loss. Organ aging reduces our ability to absorb nutrients and metabolize toxins, while tissue loss leads to decreased bodily functions and degenerative changes, such as weight gain, hair loss, eye bags, wrinkles, and various diseases caused by weakened immunity. This is why most people feel some health problems after age 30. Why do we start experiencing these issues after 30? The reason is that although our nutrient intake remains the same, our body's absorption rate decreases. Insufficient nutrient replenishment by cells leads to these problems. As we age, our basal metabolic rate gradually weakens, and we expend less energy. Therefore, even if we eat the same food, the imbalance between intake and output can lead to weight gain. Furthermore, a decreased basal metabolic rate also reduces the body's detoxification ability. Insufficient detoxification leads to the accumulation of toxins in the body, resulting in various diseases.

Let's represent a person's life on a coordinate system. Some people follow a straight line according to natural laws, while others follow a curve. Those who manage their health well follow an upward curve, while those who don't follow a downward curve. What factors can break this pattern and change a person's life trajectory from a straight line to a curve? A person's life is like a curve running on a coordinate system. Before the age of 30, vitality is relatively strong, but as age increases, the life index gradually declines until it reaches zero. This is an immutable natural law that no one can change. In this process, everyone's life curve is different. Some people pay attention to health management and have a strong sense of self-care; a good state allows their life curve to flourish upwards. Others indulge in their behavior, and negative factors lead them to their end in a very poor state. Moreover, overusing their bodies may cause this end to arrive prematurely. The elegance mentioned here refers to maintaining a good state during the aging process, such as remaining healthy and energetic in old age, not being obese or out of shape, and having an optimistic and positive attitude. If you can still exercise in the square and stroll in the countryside when you're over 80, instead of being sickly and bedridden, waiting for others to take care of you, wouldn't that be an elegant way to age? If we don't manage our health now, our health will decline, and we'll be plagued by various diseases. Although we might live to a high age, our quality of life will be very poor, spending the rest of our lives bedridden. Imagine someone living in bed while others of the same age can walk, buy groceries, and manage their own lives; while others' families can go to work without worries, your family is constantly running around to take care of you, going from work to the hospital, affecting their studies and work. In short, it brings "three things": pain to yourself, trouble to your family, and a burden to society.