[Age-related heart function in patients with healthy hearts]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Physiology
• Gerontology

Context:

• Assessing age-related changes in cardiovascular function is crucial for understanding healthy aging.
• Radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) is a valuable tool for evaluating left ventricular performance.
• Previous studies have shown varying effects of age on cardiac parameters.

Purpose:

• To investigate age- and sex-related differences in left ventricular function at rest and during exercise.
• To determine how parameters like ejection fraction (EF), systolic (VS), and diastolic (VD) volume change rates, and end-systolic volume (ESV) are affected by aging.
• To explore potential correlations between these functional changes and myocardial compliance.

Summary:

• Nineteen healthy subjects (including 46 women) underwent RNV to assess cardiac function across four age groups (mean ages 32, 45, 55, 64).
• At rest, diastolic volume change rate (VD) decreased with age, while other parameters remained stable.
• During exercise, heart rate (HR), EF, VS, and VD increased in all groups, but less so in older individuals. VS showed age and HR dependence, while VD was HR-dependent.
• VD at rest and VS during exercise were age-dependent, suggesting reduced myocardial compliance with aging. No significant sex differences were found in EF or VS, but VD was lower in males.

Impact:

• This study highlights age-related alterations in cardiac mechanics, particularly diastolic function and exercise response.
• Findings suggest that reduced myocardial compliance is a key factor in age-associated changes in ventricular performance.
• Provides normative data for left ventricular function across different adult age groups, aiding clinical interpretation.