Pancreas

The pancreas undergoes substantial structural changes with aging, including a decrease in overall weight, duct hyperplasia, and lobular fibrosis. Surprisingly, these changes do not affect pancreatic exocrine function significantly; pancreatic enzyme and bicarbonate levels decrease only modestly, so that fat and carbohydrate absorption are unaffected by age. Insulin secretion decreases (as a result of decreased responsiveness of the pancreatic cell to glucose) and insulin resistance increases with aging; both contribute to the higher risk of glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the elderly.

This topic was last updated May 2005.