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Left ventricular wall motion determined by echocardiography in elderly subjects
Acta Physiologica Polonica
|January 1, 1980
Summary
Aging reduces cardiac function in healthy older adults. Echocardiography revealed that physical activity in older age is associated with decreased left ventricular fiber shortening and wall motion, impacting heart performance.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Physiology
Background:
- Limited data exist on age-related changes in cardiac fiber shortening.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for assessing cardiovascular health in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of aging on cardiac fiber shortening in healthy, physically active older adults.
- To measure specific left ventricular parameters at rest using echocardiography.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic examinations were performed on older, healthy, physically active subjects.
- Measurements included posterior wall excursion (PWE), mean posterior wall velocity (mean PWV), and maximal posterior wall velocity (PWVM) at rest.
Main Results:
- Aging was associated with a reduction in all analyzed parameters.
- Specifically, PWE, mean PWV, and PWVM showed significant decreases.
Conclusions:
- Aging leads to reduced shortening of left ventricular fibers in healthy, physically active individuals.
- The amplitude of ventricular wall excursion is diminished in older age, even in active subjects.