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One of the kidney's major functions is to adjust the water and sodium balance in order to maintain a state of equilibrium. In the course of aging, even in the absence of renal pathology, changes are observed not only in renal macrostructure (reduction in kidney size, increase in the number of cysts), but also in microstructure (arteriosclerosis, glomerulosclerosis, fibrosis and tubular atrophy). All these changes can disrupt the homeostasis of water and sodium balances. The aim of this article is to review the physiology of water and sodium stores, and to assess the impact of aging on the regulatory loops of these different systems., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The kidney performs several major functions: it eliminates toxins produced by cellular or xenobiotic metabolism, regulates the homeostasis of the internal environment and plays a hormonal role, producing erythropoietin, calcitriol and renin. Maintaining the body's homeostasis (hydric, ionic [sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, etc.] or acid-base balance) requires the successive action of plasma filtration, followed by reabsorption/secretion mechanisms, which take place in the various portions of the kidney's functional unit known as the nephron. The initial part of the nephron, the glomerulus, is the site of filtration, while the tubule, which collects the glomerular filtrate, is the site of reabsorption/secretion, leading to the composition of the final urine. It's important to understand how these different structures work, before tackling the various disorders that can affect the kidney., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)