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Heart weights among octogenarians

T H Howell

    Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
    |December 1, 1981
    PubMed

    Insights

    Heart weights in octogenarians are significantly higher than average, with many showing age-related cardiac changes. These findings suggest heavy hearts are common in advanced age groups.

    Area of Science:

    • Gerontology
    • Cardiovascular Pathology

    Background:

    • Advanced age is associated with various physiological changes, including potential alterations in cardiac structure and function.
    • Understanding age-related changes in heart weight is crucial for interpreting cardiovascular health in elderly populations.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the heart weights and associated pathological findings in a cohort of octogenarians.
    • To compare heart weights in octogenarians with a previous study on nonagenarians.

    Main Methods:

    • Autopsy examination of 110 octogenarian subjects.
    • Measurement of heart weights and documentation of macroscopic cardiac abnormalities.
    • Comparison of findings with a prior study of 39 nonagenarians.

    Main Results:

    • Heart weights in octogenarians ranged from 174 to 785 gm, exceeding typical adult norms.
    • Only 15% of subjects had hearts considered normal; common findings included hypertrophy, friable muscle, fatty infiltration, brown atrophy, flabby myocardium, valvular changes, and coronary atheroma/calcification.
    • Octogenarian heart weights were generally higher than those observed in nonagenarians (159-539 gm).

    Conclusions:

    • Elevated heart weights are prevalent in octogenarians and nonagenarians.
    • Numerous pathological cardiac changes are frequently observed in the elderly, often correlating with increased heart weight.

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