Effect of lifestyle, gender and age on collagen formation and degradation.

Historically, inappropriate lifestyle with an inadequate dietary intake of vitamin C has been associated with poor wound healing as a clinical manifestation of scurvy. In modern times, clinical evidence produced over the past few decades indicates that a modern lifestyle factor, such as smoking, together with biologic characteristics, like old age and male gender, are risk factors for abdominal wall hernia and recurrence. The pathologic pathways for these clinical observations are unclear. Yet, evidence from animal and human studies suggests that these exogenous and endogenous factors may have a negative impact on collagen metabolism, enhancing degradation and impairing formation.