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The aging heart.

S C Klausner, A B Schwartz

    Clinics in Geriatric Medicine
    |February 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Aging does not cause direct cardiac pathology; instead, age-related diseases drive changes. Key age-related cardiac changes involve electrical and mechanical functions, particularly in the sinus and atrioventricular nodes.

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    Area of Science:

    • Cardiology
    • Gerontology
    • Physiology

    Background:

    • Cardiac aging is complex, with pathological changes often attributed to disease rather than intrinsic aging.
    • While lipofuscin and basophilic degeneration are noted, they are not exclusive to aging.
    • Age-related diseases, not aging itself, are frequently responsible for observed cardiac pathology in the elderly.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To differentiate between aging processes and disease-related changes in the heart.
    • To identify specific age-related alterations in cardiac structure and function.
    • To explore the underlying mechanisms of age-related cardiac electrical and mechanical dysfunction.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of pathologic studies on myocardium, valves, and coronary arteries.

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  • Analysis of age-related changes in cardiac conduction system (sinus node, AV node, His-Purkinje system).
  • Examination of age-related alterations in cardiac mechanical function and electrophysiology.

    • Main Results:

    • No definitive gross or microscopic changes solely due to aging were found in myocardium or valves.
    • Sinus and atrioventricular nodes decrease in size with age, showing cellular loss and infiltration.
    • Age-related mechanical changes include prolonged contraction, reduced response to stimuli, and altered relaxation; electrical changes involve action potential duration and sarcoplasmic reticulum function.

    Conclusions:

    • Observed cardiac pathology in elderly individuals is primarily due to associated diseases, not aging itself.
    • Age-related changes in cardiac electrical and mechanical function are significant and likely stem from alterations in ion channel activity and sarcoplasmic reticulum function.
    • Intrinsic aging affects cardiac conduction system size and cellularity, impacting overall cardiac electrophysiology.