ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the effects of aging and sex differences on exertional dyspnea. It focuses on important anatomical and physiological factors in old versus young individuals and in women versus men that might contribute to differences in cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses to exercise. The chapter discusses the basic differences in respiratory anatomy between men and women and how these differences influence pulmonary function and, thus, the respiratory response to exercise. It describes the handful of studies that provide some initial mechanistic insight into the consistent observation that, when matched for disease severity, women experience more dyspnea than men during standardized tasks of daily living. Exertional dyspnea is a common symptom of elderly individuals, but it is likely accepted stoically as a natural component of the aging process. The many structural and functional age-related changes that affect the respiratory muscles, lung parenchyma, airways, and chest wall have direct effects on a range of pulmonary function measurements.
