Reviewing Changes in Platelet Function in Aging

Platelets are essentially structured chunks of cytoplasm shed by the megakaryocyte cells responsible for producing them, released into the blood stream. They are important in blood clotting and the innate immune response. Inappropriate blood clot formation known as thrombosis occurs more readily in later life, but it is unclear as to the degree to which age-related changes in platelets, versus other systems, are important to this process, or where platelets sit in the complex chains of cause and effect. The open access paper noted here reviews what is known of the aging of platelets and related mechanisms, a topic that is not as well investigated as other aspects of cardiovascular aging. Platelet count is inversely associated with age. A large study based on the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey including 12,142 American subjects showed a significant decrease of 10 × 10^3 platelets/μL in individuals in the 60-69 year age group as compared with those between the ages of 20-59 years, and of 20 × 10^3 platelets/μL in patients aged over 69 years of age, after adjusting for many covariates such as nutritional deficiencies, medication, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune or viral illnesses, and consumption of alcohol and tobacco. This suggests that the drop in platelet count with age is part of the biological aging process per se and not only due to environmental factors. One of the most documented changes in platelet function during aging i...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs