ABSTRACT
Normal aging in males is associated with important changes in body composition, characterized by a decline in fat-free mass, organ mass, and total body water, as well as by an increase in fat mass. These changes have important clinical implications: the decrease in muscle mass induces a decrease in muscle strength, with as a corollary decreased statural stability with increased tendency to fall, which, together with the age-associated osteoporosis leads to an increase in bone fracture rate, whereas the increase in abdominal fat induces insulin resistance with impaired glucose tolerance, leading eventually to diabetes mellitus, atherogenic lipid profile atherosclerosis, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
