[Kidney in aging: anatomic and functional changes and therapeutic implications]

ABSTRACT

After the age of 40 years, the kidney undergoes anatomic modifications which are responsible, on one hand in the progressive diminution of glomerular filtration function observed by the decreases in 10% of renal plasma flow by decade, 0,75 ml/mn of glomerular filtration rate by year, and on other hand, by the same parallel reduction of tubular function marked by the decreases in secretary and reabsorption tubular maximum capacity and concentrating and diluting ability of urine. However, some observations have suggested that the decline in renal function with aging are sometimes the result of prerenal, renal, and postrenal pathologies. Nevertheless, these anatomic and functional renal modifications must be involved to adapt the dose and to take precautions in association of eliminated renal medicaments which are used for treatment of various diseases such as arterial hypertension in the aging people