The liver gets older too

The liver gets older too

07/11/2013

With age, diabetes, obesity and even chronic diseases increase. This also affects the condition of the liver, whose regeneration capacity also decreases over time. The degradation of pollutants takes place to a lesser extent, emphasizes Claus Niederau, CEO of Deutsche Leberhilfe. Older people also complain more often about chronic inflammation, which often complications. Due to the diminished blood flow and the decrease in liver volume, the liver gradually loses some of its filtering function and toxins are no longer completely degraded.

"Especially in older people who take different medications for other diseases, there is a risk factor for liver disease," said Niederau. This is one of the reasons why infections in older people are associated with more complications than in younger people. Regular examinations, in which the liver values ​​are checked by family doctor, should be carried out by all means. Since infections can sometimes lead to life-threatening illnesses, the liver specialist recommends vaccinating against hepatitis A virus infections. In addition, a healthy lifestyle and sports activities help to keep the liver functioning well in old age. (Fr)

Picture: Rainer Sturm