Health Tip: Getting Older and Weakened Immunity

How aging may affect your ability to stay healthy

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(HealthDay News) - As you age, your body often isn't able to protect you against disease as effectively as when you were younger.

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The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists these changes to the immune system that may occur as part of the aging process:

• Decreased ability to protect against infection.
• Decreased effectiveness and duration of vaccinations.
• Increased risk of developing an autoimmune disease.
• Decreased ability to heal from wounds and other injuries.
• Decreased ability to detect and correct cell defects, which could raise the risk of certain cancers.

-- Diana Kohnle