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Ageing of the heart
1Department of Geriatric Medicine, North Staffordshire Hospital, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, England, UK.
British Journal of Biomedical Science
|April 13, 1999
Summary
Cardiac aging involves changes like reduced myocytes and fibrosis, impacting heart function. Some age-related heart changes are reversible, but research continues into mechanisms for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Physiology
Background:
- Cardiac aging presents morphological, histological, and biochemical alterations.
- Distinguishing normal aging from cardiovascular disease is challenging due to high prevalence of hypertension and ischemic heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate age-related cardiac changes from disease-induced effects.
- To clarify the significance of these changes for overall cardiac performance.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cardiac aging.
- Analysis of disease-independent versus disease-related changes in the aging heart.
Main Results:
- Disease-independent changes include reduced myocytes, fibrosis, impaired calcium transport, lower capillary density, and decreased beta-adrenergic response.
- Changes like epicardial fat deposition and brown atrophy appear symptomatic without functional impact.
- Some age-associated cardiac changes may be partially reversible with exercise or drugs.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the mechanisms of myocyte proliferation and fibrosis is crucial for developing preventive strategies.
- Further research is needed to determine the benefits of reversing age-associated cardiac changes.