becomegraduallylessabletorunasfarorasfastasthey
usedtoorto climba flightofstairswithoutbecoming
short of breath.
As the heart muscle thickens, muscle elsewhere thins.
Aroundageforty,one beginsto losemuscle massand
power.Byageeighty,onehaslostbetweenaquarterand
a half of one’s muscle weight.
Youcanseealltheseprocessesplayoutjustinthehand:
40 percentofthemusclemassofthehandisinthethenar
muscles, the muscles of the thumb, and if you look
carefullyatthepalmofanolderperson,atthebaseofthe
thumb,youwillnoticethatthemusculatureisnotbulging
but flat. In a plain X-ray, you will see speckles of
calcificationinthearteriesandtranslucencyofthebones,
which,fromagefifty,losetheirdensityatarateofnearly
1 percentperyear.Thehandhastwenty-ninejoints,each
ofwhichispronetodestructionfromosteoarthritis,and
this will give the joint surfaces a ragged, worn
appearance.Thejointspacecollapses.Youcanseebone
touchingbone.Whatthepersonfeelsisswellingaround
the joints, reduced range of motion of the wrist,
diminishedgrip,andpain.Thehandalsohasforty-eight
named nerve branches. Deterioration of the cutaneous
mechanoreceptorsinthepadsofthefingersproducesloss
ofsensitivitytotouch.Lossofmotorneuronsproduces
lossofdexterity.Handwritingdegrades.Handspeedand
vibrationsensedecline.Usingastandardmobilephone,
withitstinybuttonsandtouchscreendisplay,becomes
increasingly unmanageable.
This is normal. Although the processes can be
slowed—diet and physical activity can make a