Aging is often accompanied by a surge in age-related chronic conditions and the gradual deterioration of tissue and organ functions. Hence, continuous healthcare support is necessary to minimize organ failure and to prevent complications and exacerbations. Biologically compatible materials with unique properties, like bioresorbability, are needed for many types of treatments. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a type of biological polyester that has thermoplastic properties and is biodegradable as well. PHA is being developed as a potential biomaterial for various applications such as vascular grafts, sutures and tissue engineering scaffolds. Nearly 150 different monomers are known to be polymerized by numerous microorganisms into PHAs having various physicochemical properties. Some of the PHAs can be further subjected to chemical modifications which widen their applications. Although many studies are focused on developing PHAs as a biomaterial for medical applications, there has been no report on their potential as a biomaterial to cater to special need groups like older patients who are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, bone-related problems and colorectal cancer. This review takes a closer look at the unique properties of PHA especially with regards to its suitability as a biomaterial for treating some of the complications faced by aged patients.

衰老通常伴随着与年龄有关的慢性病的激增以及组织和器官功能的逐渐恶化。因此，需要持续的医疗支持以最大程度地减少器官衰竭并预防并发症和恶化。许多类型的处理都需要具有生物吸收性等独特特性的生物相容性材料。聚羟基链烷酸酯（PHA）是一种具有热塑性特性且也可生物降解的生物聚酯。PHA被开发为潜在的生物材料，可用于各种应用，例如血管移植，缝合线和组织工程支架。已知将近150种不同的单体被多种微生物聚合成具有各种物理化学性质的PHA。一些PHA可以进一步进行化学修饰，从而扩大其应用范围。尽管许多研究专注于将PHA用作医学应用的生物材料，但尚未有报道将其作为生物材料来满足特殊需求群体的潜力，例如更容易患心血管疾病，糖尿病，骨骼相关疾病和大肠癌。这篇综述仔细研究了PHA的独特特性，特别是关于其作为生物材料治疗老年患者所面临的某些并发症的适用性。尚未有关于它们作为潜在特殊人群的生物材料的报道，例如老年患者，他们更容易患心血管疾病，糖尿病，与骨骼有关的问题和结直肠癌。这篇综述仔细研究了PHA的独特特性，特别是关于其作为生物材料治疗老年患者所面临的某些并发症的适用性。尚未有关于它们作为潜在特殊人群的生物材料的报道，例如老年患者，他们更容易患心血管疾病，糖尿病，与骨骼有关的问题和结直肠癌。这篇综述仔细研究了PHA的独特特性，特别是关于其作为生物材料治疗老年患者所面临的某些并发症的适用性。