Aging and sarcopenia: Influences of gender and physical activity

The process of aging is inevitable in all living organisms. The fundamental mechanisms behind aging are multifactorial, involving genetic background as well as environmental modulation (see also Chapter 3). Arguments for the dominant genetic component of aging come from studies of a rare genetic condition (progeria, Hutchinson-Guilford syndrome) where rapid aging leads to premature death from conditions usually associated with advanced aging, such as atherosclerosis.