Cardiovascular System Changes in the Elderly

Aging is a process of disappearance of the network's ability to repair or replace ourselves and maintain the structure and function normally. This process takes place continuously throughout one's life. Unlike the pathological condition, every man would be experiencing the aging process. Aging is genetically programmed into each individual, but external factors plays an important role in modifying this process, so that the aging process-were held with different levels of speed on each person. This explains why some people can look older / younger than chronological age. Physical condition and activity status of a person can radically affect cardiovascular function when she gets older.

Physiological aging is marked by the disappearance of the function of many organs of the body. At the same time also increase the incidence of diseases such as coronary arterial disease (CAD), cerebrovascular diseases, kidney and lung disease. This will cause more rapid loss of body organ functions.

Along with increasing life expectancy can we expect will also be an increase in prevalence-prevalence disease that occurs in older people. Heart disease in the elderly is a global problem which to date remains one of the main priorities. This is because heart disease is the biggest cause of mortality, morbidity and disability in older people.

Cardiac Physiological Changes Due to Aging

Aging process will cause changes in the cardiovascular system. This in turn will also cause changes in cardiac physiology. Changes in cardiac physiology has to be distinguished from pathological effects that occur because of other diseases, such as coronary arterial disease, which also often occur with increasing age.

There is a major problem in measuring the impact of aging on cardiac physiology, namely the problem that there is a latent disease in the elderly. It can be seen from the prevalence of CAD at autopsy, which found more than 60% of patients died aged 60 years or more, having 75% or greater occlusion, at least one coronary artery. While the results of other data collection was recorded only about 20% of patients aged> 80 years who had clinical manifestations of CAD. Clearly this illustrates that in some older adults, the disease is asymptomatic CAD.

It is very difficult for us in carrying out research on the physiological effects of aging on the heart. We must first rule out the possibility of other diseases such as CAD in seemingly healthy elderly group. However, not all research is done by first getting rid of latent disease that may be present. This is what often causes the presence of differences in data collection on a number of research results.

The changes that occur in the Heart:

In the myocardium occurs accompanied by the accumulation lipofusin brown atrophy (aging pigment) in the fibers of the myocardium.

There is fibrosis and calcification of fibrous tissue that becomes the framework of the heart. Also in valve calcification and changes also occur sirkumferens become larger so that the valve thickening. Heart murmur (murmur) caused the stiffness of the valve is often found in the elderly.

There is a decline in employment of sino-atrial node which is a regulator of cardiac rhythm. The cells from the SA node will also be reduced by 50% -75% since the 50-year-old man. The number of cells of the AV node is not reduced, but it will happen fibrosis. While the bundle of His loss will also be found at the cellular level. This change will result in decreased heart rate.

Occurred thickening of the heart wall, especially on the left ventricle. This causes the amount of blood that can fit into fewer, although there is enlargement of the heart as a whole. Filling in the blood to the heart also slowed.

erjadi subendokardial ischemia and interstitial tissue fibrosis. This is caused by decreased tissue perfusion due to decreased diastolic pressure.

The changes that occur in blood vessels:

The loss of elasticity of the aorta and other large arteries. This led to increased resistance when left ventricular systolic pressure and the pump so that the increased afterload. This situation will end up with the so-called "Isolated aortic incompetence". Additionally, it will happen is also a decrease in diastolic pressure.

Decreased cardiac response to ß-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Addition reaction to changes in baroreceptor and chemoreceptor also declined. Changes in baroreceptor response may explain the occurrence of orthostatic hypotension in the elderly.

Capillary walls to thicken so that the exchange of nutrients and disposal of slowing down.

The changes that occur in the Blood:

There is a decrease of Total Body Water so that the blood volume also decreased.

Number of Red Blood Cells (Hemoglobin and Hematocrit) decreased. Also decrease the number of leukocytes that are critical to maintain immunity. This causes decreased resistance to infections.

Read Also These Posts:

Posted in: being old