The Elderly

Studies have shown that aging can promote a variety of pathological processes, such as myocardial remodeling and cardiac dysfunction caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury and pressure load. Previous studies found that the level of circulating beta-hydroxybutyric acid decreased significantly with age. It has been reported that the ketogenic diet reduces the occurrence of tumors and neurodegenerative diseases in mice, improves motor coordination and endurance, and ultimately extends life span. Current research results have confirmed that ketone bodies have multiple mechanisms to exert beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases. However, the effect of age-related cardiovascular disease has not been reported. In order to further clarify the role of beta-hydroxybutyric acid in age-related cardiovascular diseases, find new intervention targets for elderly cardiovascular diseases, and develop new effective prevention and treatment measures for elderly cardiovascular diseases. We will further investigate this hypothesis by establishing a clinical cohort of the elderly population.

The aim of the study is to assess the impact of the rehabilitation and treatment stay at the underground Health Resort of the 'Wieliczka' Salt Mine in Wieliczka on the functional capacity, respiratory parameters, and rheological properties of blood in elderly individuals with respiratory diseases.