Our ability to stay sufficiently hydrated declines with age and will have a considerable impact on healthspan and longevity.

Our ability to stay sufficiently hydrated declines with age and will have a considerable impact on healthspan and longevity.The consequences of dehydration can include dizziness, fatigue, confusion, low blood pressure and if persists and is significant enough, it can result in kidney damage and deep venin thrombosis (DVT).Older adults are not only at greater risk for these consequences, but they are also more likely to get dehydrated in the first place and it has to do with the ability to regulate the body’s fluid balance, the total water coming in and controlling water going out.Our control for fluid input involves the brain triggering a thirst response, driving higher fluid intakes. Our control of fluid output is more complex and includes sweating, respiration, water loss in the stool and urination. Urination is strictly regulated by the kidneys. When dehydrated they can reabsorb water from the urine to limit the water loss, hence why urine becomes darker when dehydrated.In older adults the thirst response to dehydration can be blunted, even in healthy people, when compared to younger adults.1 However, the mechanisms of how this response is affected remains unclear.Similarly, research has demonstrated that the reduction in urine excretion, in response to dehydration, is diminished in adults as young as 40-59 and significantly reduced by aged 60.2 The main reason this may be happening is the decrease in the kidneys ability to respond to antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also called Vasopressin. This hormone is responsible for stimulating water reabsorption from the urine.As we age, body composition changes and typically lean muscle mass decreases, whilst fat mass increases. Muscle cells contain more water than fat cells, so with these changes there is a reduction in total body water. This means that dehydration and its symptoms can be further magnified.It is really important to think about hydrating well, especially when reaching midlife and beyond. Actively drinking more water, throughout the day, regardless of thirst response will be helpful in older age groups. Aiming for 2-3 litres of water a day is a sensible approach for most people.IV therapy, that replaces fluids intravenously, for prolonged or moderate dehydration, resulting from long travel periods, indulgence, heat exposure and illness, is another practice that is growing in popularity around the globe. This is in part to the democratisation of the elective hydration industry making this type of hydration more accessible without compromising safety.   Whatever the mode of hydration, it is essential that optimal hydration for age group is considered when personalising health advice to patients. Further research is needed to help identify hydration protocols for age groups.References:1)    https://lnkd.in/ehatYepc2)    https://lnkd.in/e_Sb28AY