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Age Associated Alterations in Structure and Function of the Cardiovascular System
Mrugesh B. Patel1, Edmund H. Sonnenblick
1Division of Cardiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
The American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology
|June 21, 2001
Summary
Aging significantly alters cardiovascular structure and function, reducing cardiac reserve and increasing risks for heart conditions in older adults. Understanding these changes is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging causes structural and functional cardiovascular changes.
- These changes can directly cause pathology or worsen existing cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the effects of aging on the cardiovascular system.
- To discuss the implications for cardiovascular disease in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- Review of age-associated changes in peripheral arteries and myocardium.
- Analysis of cardiac function at rest and during exercise in aging populations.
Main Results:
- Aging increases systolic and pulse pressures due to arterial stiffening.
- Myocardial changes include myocyte loss and reduced contractility, leading to decreased cardiac reserve during exercise.
- The aging heart exhibits increased stiffness.
Conclusions:
- Age-related cardiovascular changes contribute to increased mortality from myocardial infarction and heart failure.
- The aging population may benefit from medications like beta-adrenergic antagonists and ACE inhibitors.