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[Morpho-functional characteristics of the heart in the elderly]
1Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital Pulido Valente, Lisboa.
Insights
Aging affects cardiovascular structure and function, making it hard to differentiate age-related changes from coronary disease. Studies excluding coronary disease show different cardiac adaptations to exercise compared to those including it.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Geriatric cardiology
- Exercise physiology
Context:
- Aging leads to cardiovascular changes that can mimic or exacerbate coronary artery disease.
- Distinguishing age-related cardiovascular alterations from those caused by coronary disease is clinically challenging.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the differential impact of coronary disease on age-related cardiovascular adaptations.
Purpose:
- To review age-related cardiovascular structural and functional alterations.
- To analyze the challenges in differentiating aged-related changes from coronary disease.
- To compare physiological adaptations to exertion in populations with and without coronary disease.
Summary:
- Cardiovascular structure and function undergo significant changes with age.
- Studies comparing individuals with and without coronary disease reveal distinct differences in cardiac output, systolic volume, and peripheral vascular resistance.
- The heart's physiological adaptation to physical exertion differs markedly depending on the presence or absence of coronary artery disease.
Impact:
- Highlights the importance of considering coronary disease status when evaluating age-related cardiovascular changes.
- Provides insights into the differential impact of coronary artery disease on cardiovascular function during aging.
- Informs clinical assessment and management strategies for older adults with cardiovascular conditions.
Abstract:
Alterations in cardiovascular structure and function with advancing age are reviewed. The difficulty to distinguish between aged related alterations and those due to coronary disease are analysed. The results of the studies in which coronary disease are excluded are compared with those in which that situation was present. Cardiac output, systolic volume and peripheral vascular resistence are the differences. The physiological adaptations of the heart to effort are analysed. The adaptation of the heart to effort is quite different according to Coronary Disease have been excluded or not on the population.