Related Experiment Videos
The old-age heart: normal aging changes which can produce or mimic cardiac disease
1Department of Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Insights
The aging heart undergoes changes like myocardial atrophy and valve calcification. Some normal aging processes can lead to or mimic clinical heart disease in the elderly.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Pathology
Background:
- The global elderly population is projected to triple by 2050.
- Accurate cardiovascular data for the aging heart is crucial for effective medical and surgical interventions.
- Understanding normal aging changes in the heart is essential for differentiating them from pathological conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the normal aging changes occurring in the hearts of the very elderly.
- To identify specific age-related cardiovascular alterations.
- To discuss how these normal changes can manifest as or be mistaken for heart disease.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies focusing on cardiovascular changes in the elderly.
- Analysis of expected or normal aging alterations in the heart.
- Correlation of observed aging changes with potential clinical manifestations.
Main Results:
- Normal aging involves myocardial brown atrophy, increased subepicardial fat, and focal amyloid deposits.
- Calcific deposits in the aortic valve, mitral annulus, and coronary arteries are common.
- A sigmoid-shaped ventricular septum is a typical finding in the aging heart.
Conclusions:
- Normal aging of the heart includes specific structural and functional changes.
- These age-related changes, such as aortic and mitral annular calcification, can cause or mimic significant heart disease.
- Distinguishing normal aging from pathology is vital for appropriate patient management.
Abstract:
The elderly segment of our society may triple by the year 2050. Specific cardiovascular data on the normal aging heart will be needed to provide proper medical and surgical therapy for this patient group. This report reviews normal aging changes of the very elderly heart. Expected or normal aging changes include brown atrophy of the myocardium, increased subepicardial fat, focal amyloid deposits, sigmoid-shaped ventricular septum, and calcific deposits in the aortic valve, mitral annulus and epicardial coronary arteries. Certain normal aging changes may produce clinical heart disease: aortic valve calcium (aortic stenosis), mitral valve annular calcium (mitral stenosis), amyloid deposits (amyloid heart disease). Certain normal aging changes may mimic heart disease: sigmoid-shaped ventricular septum (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), mitral leaflet "buckling" (floppy mitral valve).