If an elderly patient exhibits increased susceptibility to infections and impaired tissue repair, but maintains relatively normal bone density, which consequence regarding cellular aging is most likely?

💡 Explanation

Impaired tissue repair and increased infection susceptibility indicates cellular senescence. Telomere shortening leads to replicative senescence because it triggers DNA damage responses, arresting cell division. Therefore, telomere shortening impairs tissue regeneration and immune function, rather than mitochondrial or proteasomal pathways impacting bone density.

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