Your heart acts as an internal combustion engine for your body. Your body also becomes vulnerable to a number of illnesses when the heart is damaged, much like a car stops when its engine is impacted.
Age is just one of several factors that might have an effect on the heart. Age-related changes have a significant negative impact on the heart's blood arteries.
Physiology Of The Heart
The heart has two sides, each with an atrium at its top and a ventricle at its bottom. It is the size of a clenched fist. The right side pumps blood to the lungs, carrying oxygen with it. The left side of the body draws oxygen-rich blood from the lungs, which is subsequently circulated via the body's arteries. An electrical system, which also controls the heart rate, or pulse, coordinates the contraction of the heart's chambers.
Heart Effects Of Aging
The heart may not work as well as it did when you were younger as you get older. The following are age-related consequences.
A higher blood pressure level
The ageing of your heart may cause an increase in blood pressure. Blood vessel hardening and elasticity loss brought on by elevated blood pressure increases the likelihood of blockage. This occurs as a result of diminished oxygen and blood supply to the heart, which causes heart disease.
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Heart Hardening
Additionally, the heart's muscles stiffen, making it more difficult to pump blood, particularly during strenuous activity.
Heightened Weight
The rate at which food is digested changes with age. As you get older, your metabolic rate slows down dramatically, which raises your chance of gaining weight. One of the risk factors for heart-related issues is weight increase. If weight is not adequately managed, obesity can develop, increasing the risk of heart disorders like diabetes and hypertension.
Reduced Blood Vessel Size
Atherosclerosis, which is one of the causes of narrowing blood vessels, is another name for the condition. The blood supply to the heart is restricted in this situation. Plaque accumulation on the artery walls is the cause of this.
Unusual Heartbeat
Another result of cardiac ageing is a change in heart rhythm. This disorder, commonly known as atrial fibrillation, is the main contributing factor to strokes.
older people. Blood clots may form in atrial fibrillation and may travel to the brain, causing a stroke.
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Chest Pain
Chest pain, which is sometimes brought on by temporary reductions in blood flow to the heart, is another result of cardiac ageing. Another name for this illness is angina.
Advancing Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is fairly common in elderly persons. People over 75 are 10 times more likely than younger ones to experience congestive heart failure.
Bottomline
The focus should be on developing heart disease prevention strategies. Regular checkups should be conducted to identify issues early. Working on the heart disease risk factors that can be avoided, such as smoking, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, is crucial.
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