ABSTRACT
The prevalence of pulmonary disease increases with age and contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the geriatric population. Elderly patients with lung disease are disproportionately physically debilitated, are hospitalized at a disproportionate rate, and comprise a substantial proportion of the growing population of older adults. Pulmonary function begins to decline as early as the third decade due to a host of physiologic and environmental factors. As life progresses, the lung is subjected to a constant onslaught of environmental toxins, including tobacco smoke, air pollution, dusts, and infection, all of which contribute to the observed reduction in physiologic lung capacity that accompanies aging. Aging is accompanied by a decrement in physiologic lung reserve. This stems from multiple factors, including altered respiratory mechanics, decline in respiratory muscle strength, modified control of ventilation, narrowing of the window for gas exchange, and waning immunity.
