Miniature Microwave Biosensors: Noninvasive Applications

Demographic shifts are part of the process of social and economic change that has been taking place worldwide over the last century. Europe is the first large subcontinent to encounter the effects of an aging society [1]. The same pattern is repeating in Latin America and Japan but with a quicker pace of transition compared with that which took place in the countries that are now industrialized [2]. This situation impacts the productivity and economic growth of the countries due to the reduction of the working age population [3]. Additionally, the increase in the number of elderly people who make use of service in the social security systems has a tremendous fiscal impact, which is represented in the expenses for pensions, health care, and longterm care. In addition, the increase of chronic diseases correlated with the lifestyle and the behavior in industrial countries (e.g., tobacco consumption, obesity, and the fact that the need for the primary care increases while the number of primary care providers diminishes) represent the challenges to be solved for the health systems of modern society [4].