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There is an age related decline in various physiological processes. Vascular ageing is associated with changes in the mechanical and the structural properties of the vascular wall, which leads to the loss of arterial elasticity and reduced arterial compliance. Arterial compliance can be measured by different parameters like pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, and systemic arterial compliance. There is evidence that arterial compliance is reduced in disease states such as hypertension, diabetes, and end stage renal failure. Changes in arterial compliance can be present before the clinical manifestation of cardiovascular disease. Pharmacological and non‐pharmacological measures have been shown to improve arterial compliance. Arterial compliance may constitute an early cardiovascular risk marker and may be useful in assessing the effects of drugs on the cardiovascular system. Pharmacogenetics and genetics of arterial compliance in the future will improve our knowledge and understanding about vascular ageing.

Approaching a completely aged society, the Thai government attempts to promote active ageing in the elderly population. This article assesses Thailand's ageing schemes in the perspectives of Active Ageing Index (AAI). AAI is a composite index which reflects the overall living wellness of the elderly, covering their characteristics multi-dimensionally. The focus is to explore whether such schemes are in coherence with the behavioral attributes of the elderly in Thailand. The ordered logistic regression of data from the Survey of the Older Persons in 2017 recognizes influential behavioral attributes, emphasizing the need to revise policy perceptions. The findings show that variables related not only to health care and direct income provisions but also to decent choices of work, lifelong learning opportunities and community participation and involvement contribute to higher AAI level. Quantity-wise, Thailand has accomplished a wide coverage of health care and income security. Nevertheless, these policies remain passive and incoherent with the overall active ageing behavioral attributes. There is still a policy space to "actively" engage the elderly in the move. By increasing old-age-friendly infrastructures and market incentives in the forms of subsidies and tax schemes for the key players, namely, the elderly, themselves, and the business sectors will promote policy coherence.

This study focuses on the concept of active ageing in the "Active Ageing: A Policy Framework" by World Health Organization. The purpose is to understand the meaning and the origins of the concept with the help of Foucauldian perspective. The analyzing method is content analysis guided by theory. The theoretical framework consists of Michel Foucault´s ideas about governmentality, subject and power and Nikolas Rose´s thoughts about governing. Gilles Deleuze´s control society is also part of the theoretical framework. The subject of active ageing needs to follow a regimen based on activity and health. Governmentality on the society level supports this subjectivity and thus connects them to the network of power; the special nature of the older population is recognized. Even though the concept is named "active ageing" the subjects do represent a wider age scale. These subjects need to prepare for the old age both economically and health-wise. This shows that the whole time of living, not only the old age, is medicalized. When it comes to the origins of the concept of active ageing and the user of power there is a connection to social gerontology and activity theory, and rationalities. The neoliberal rationality has affected on the knowledge that has been produced of the ageing and this is seen in the connection between the activity theory and active ageing. This, and the network structure of the different actors, makes it challenging to find the source of the power when it comes to the concept of active ageing.

Cognitive decline is the first outward sign of dementia, which has a major public health impact on individuals and governments around the world. As individuals age, cognitive abilities gradually start to deteriorate for independent or combined genetic and environmental causes. Given that very little can be done regarding our genetic inheritance, the focus of the current research is on modifiable risk factors across the life course. There is a well-established relationship between specific lifestyle behaviours and cognitive decline, but extremely limited research on the role of combined lifestyle factors. This chapter aims to describe the process of cognitive ageing on multiple cognitive domains (fluid and crystallised), highlighting the changes in cognitive performance occurring as a normal process of ageing, as well as the most severe forms of cognitive impairment indicative of probable risk of dementia. Also, the role of modifiable risk factors such as lifestyle behaviours (alcohol, smoking, physical activity and dietary patterns) will be evaluated in relation to healthy cognitive ageing and preventions of cognitive decline. There are many questions to be answered regarding the biological foundations of cognitive ageing across the spectrum, and the potential role of lifestyle behaviours in reverting the accelerated changes in the cognitive ageing process.

On July 13(th) 2010, Lazlo Andor (Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) declared that active ageing could make the baby-boomers generation a part of the solution of the demographic problem, instead of identifying with it. This is the reason why the "Europe 2020" strategy draws the attention to the necessity of ensuring that the elderly will remain healthy and active for as long as possible. The purpose of this article is to define the exact concept of "active ageing", its content, as well as some beneficial tips by applying innovative programs in order to promote it in the European Union. Reading the published papers the impression is that despite the increasing number of the elderly in Europe, the potential of an active life while ageing can be beneficial in many ways for the society. It is required that the local and regional authorities create the appropriate conditions for participation, while making thoughtful use of the European funding programs.

Worldwide the population is ageing and data concerning how people want to age actively is limited. The paper is a description of an inductive interpretive-descriptive study of how a sample of older retired teachers in Fiji viewed ageing and their lives as older people. The objectives were to determine and describe perceptions of ageing held by a sample of retired teachers. The methodology consisted of responses to an open ended questionnaire similar to a phenomenographic approach and the analysis was interpretive – descriptive. A purposive sample of 30 retired teachers between the ages of 55 and 60 responded to the questionnaire. The results indicate that most of the respondents were positive about lifelong learning and in particular learning new things; that they were involved in a range of post retirement activities for personal and financial reasons; that there were some barriers and facilitators to their activities; that they generally accepted ageing and being older; and that more should be done by Government and other agencies to provide for a better life for older people in Fiji. These results should be considered in future planning for ageing populations in Fiji, the Pacific region and in other developing countries.

Population ageing, in both the developed and developing world, has put increasing demands on health resources; this has brought to the fore various ethical issues related to ageing. This paper examines moral issues that confront people as they grow old as well as those who are involved with them. The concepts of autonomy, dignity, justice and intergenerational solidarity are explored. Living wills and the role of a proxy could help to deal with the common ethical dilemmas related to death and dying. Positive action by governments to overcome ageism is recommended. The need to establish ethical guidelines, which take into consideration differences in religion, culture, ethnicity and race, is highlighted.

European regions experience accelerating ageing, but the process has substantial regional variation. This paper examines the effect of this variation on regional economic cohesion in Europe. We measure the effect of convergence or divergence in the share of the working age population on convergence or divergence in economies of NUTS 2 regions. The effect of convergence or divergence in ageing on economic convergence or divergence is quite substantial and, in some cases, is bigger than the effect of changes in productivity and labour force participation. Convergence of ageing leads to economic convergence only when the share of the working age population in rich regions exceeds that in poor regions and the former regions experience a substantial decline in the share of the working age population, or the latter regions experience an increase. During 2003–12, an inverse relationship between convergence in ageing and economic convergence was the rule rather than the exception.

Résumé L'article analyse la variation géographique du vieillissement démographique en Flan­dre. Nous examinons les évolutions combinées de la population âgée de plus de 65 ans et de celle des 20 à 49 ans, ainsi que leur lien avec la croissance naturelle et la migration. Les séries temporelles utilisées concernent la période 2001-2015 et proviennent du Registre National de Population publiées par l'office belge de statistique (Statbel). Elles sont complétées par les Projections démographiques pour les municipalités flamandes 2015-2030, préparées par le Gouvernement flamand. Les municipalités sont regroupées sur la base d'une analyse typologique des séries temporelles sur la composition de la population, l'évolution de la population de 65 ans et plus et de la population de 20-49 ans ainsi que sur les changements dans la migration nette et la croissance naturelle. La typologie issue de cette analyse discerne six modèles de vieillissement dont les plus proéminents sont: un important et ancien vieillissement à la côte; un futur vieillissement dans le Limbourg oriental et dans le nord de la province d'Anvers et, finalement, une croissance démographique et un vieillissement limité dans le centre de la Région flamande. Abstract The paper analyses the geographic variation in demographic ageing patterns in Flanders. We examine the combined evolutions of the elderly population aged over 65, and the young adult population aged 20-49, in relation to natural growth and migration. The data concern time-series on the period 2001-2015 from the National Population Register as published by the Belgian statistical office (Statbel). We complemented the time series with the Population Projections for the Flemish Municipalities, 2015-2030, prepared by the Flemish Government. A Finite Mixture Model is applied to cluster municipalities on the basis of population composition, change in the population aged 20-49 and over 65, and change in net migration and natural growth. We discern six ageing patterns. The most prominent ones are: first, a strong ageing in the past along the coast; second, a strong future ageing in Eastern Limburg and the North of the province of Antwerp; and third, population growth and limited ageing in the center of the Flemish Region.