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[Measurement by isotope study of the cardiac output in the elderly]
P Friocourt1, D J Gambini, A Chevalier
1Service de médecine, centre hospitalier général, Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher.
Insights
Cardiac output and hemodynamic values decrease with age in very old adults (80-102 years). These findings establish new reference ranges for this understudied elderly population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Physiology
Context:
- Assessing cardiac function in the very elderly (80-102 years) is crucial but challenging due to limited data.
- Normal heart function criteria were established using radiocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography.
Purpose:
- To determine reference hemodynamic volumetric values in very old subjects with normal cardiac function.
- To compare these values with those of younger adults and identify age-related trends.
Summary:
- Cardiac output and hemodynamic volumetric values (stroke volume, stroke index, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, blood volume, mean corpuscular volume, packed red cell volume) were measured in 69 individuals aged 80-102 years.
- Non-invasive radiocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography were employed to obtain reliable measurements.
- Results indicate that these values are generally lower in very old adults compared to younger adults and exhibit a decline with increasing age.
Impact:
- Provides essential reference data for the seldom-explored age group of 80-102 years.
- Highlights age-related physiological changes in cardiac hemodynamics.
- Offers a basis for more accurate clinical assessments and understanding of cardiovascular health in extreme aging.
Abstract:
Cardiac output and haemodynamic volumetric values (stroke volume, stroke index, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, blood volume, mean corpuscular volume and packed red cell volume) were measured in a population of 69 very old subjects (80 to 102 years) whose heart was regarded as normal on the basis of criteria determined, by radiocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography. These harmless and non-invasive techniques provided reference values in subjects of a seldom explored age group. Altogether, these values were lower than those of younger adults, and they decreased with age. Their reliability is due to the fact that they were obtained by true measurement and not by extrapolation of results observed in adults.