A large and growing segment of the general population are age 65 or older, and this percentage will continue to rise. Primary care of this population has, and is becoming a priority for clinicians. Hypertension, orthostatic hypotension, arterial insufficiency, and atherosclerosis are common disorders in the elderly that lead to significant morbidity and mortality. One common factor to these conditions is an age-related decline in beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR)-mediated function and subsequent cAMP generation. Presently, there is no single cellular factor that can explain this age-related decline, and thus the primary cause of this homeostatic imbalance is yet to be identified. However, the etiology is clearly associated with an age-related change in the ability of beta-AR receptor to respond to agonist at the cellular level. This article will review what is presently understood regarding the molecular and biochemical basis of age-impaired beta-AR receptor-mediated signaling. A fundamental understanding of why beta-AR-mediated vasorelaxation is impaired with age will provide new insights and innovative strategies for the management of the multiple clinical disorders that effect older people.

中文翻译：

---

与年龄相关的血管肾上腺素能信号的变化：临床和机制的影响。

65％或更高年龄段的人口在不断增长，并且这一比例还将继续上升。该人群的初级保健已经并且正在成为临床医生的优先事项。高血压，体位性低血压，动脉供血不足和动脉粥样硬化是老年人的常见疾病，导致明显的发病率和死亡率。这些条件的一个共同因素是与年龄有关的β-肾上腺素受体（β-AR）介导的功能下降和随后的cAMP产生。目前，尚无单一的细胞因子可以解释这种与年龄有关的下降，因此尚需确定这种体内平衡失衡的主要原因。然而，病因显然与β-AR受体在细胞水平上对激动剂反应的能力的年龄相关变化有关。本文将回顾目前对年龄受损的β-AR受体介导的信号传导的分子和生物化学基础的理解。对为什么β-AR介导的血管舒张会随着年龄而受损的基本理解将为管理影响老年人的多种临床疾病提供新的见识和创新策略。