Age Related Changes That Occur in the Cardiovascular System

Age Related Changes that Occur in the Cardiovascular System Age Related Changes that Occur in the Cardiovascular System In the normal conduction of the heart the electrical impulse starts in the SA node, also called the pacemaker of the heart. The electrical impulse travels through the right atrium and through the Bachmann’s bundle into the left atrium. This stimulates the atria to contract. Next the signal travel to the AV node. The AV node slightly delays the signal. This delay is needed for the heart to beat properly.The Cardiovascular SystemWithout this delay the atria and ventricles would beat at the same time. The electrical signal then travels to the Bundle of His where it is split into the signals going to the right and left ventricle. The signal travels through the left and the right Bundle Branch to contract the ventricles. As the body ages there are changes in the cardiovascular system. Some of these changes include major changes in heart rate, blood vessels become more stiff and thicker, heart valves become thicker and more stiff, the SA node loses cells and developes fibrous tissue.One major change is the decrease in the elasticity of the aorta and great arteries. The normal aorta allows for normal expansion during systole. Left ventricular ejection creates a pressure wave which travels the length of the aorta to the periphery. The pulse generated at a peripheral vessel is the result of this pressure wave and is not a reflection of blood flow. The velocity of the pressure wave is termed the pulse wave velocity. Age-related aortic stiffening causes an increase in the pulse wave velocity.The wave velocity in the elderly results in an elevation in the systolic blood pressure. The pulse wave is faster resulting in the reflected wave reaching the ascending aorta in the late systole rather than early diastole. Coronary artery disease also called CAD is the leading cause of death in both men and women. CAD is the leading type of heart disease in th e United States. CAD is the hardening and build up of plaque inside the arteries that supply the heart with blood. The main part of plaque is cholesterol followed by other minerals.This type of build up is called atherosclerosis. As this grows it occludes the arteries which in turn decreases the amount of oxygen reaching the heart. This can lear to chest pain and heart attacks. The risk of CAD increases with age. 37% of people in the age range of 65-74 years old and 48% of those over the age of 75 (REF 1) reported having this type of illness. In the 75 years and over, more than one third of men and approximately one quarter of women are currently living with coronary artery disease. Hypertension is more common in the 60 and over range.Hypertension is define as a blood pressure of 140/90 or greater. Hypertension is related to the loss of elasticity in the aorta. Blood pressure mainly systolic pressure rises with age. In a community based study 90% of midlife adults with normal blood pressure developed hypertension in late life. (Ref 2) Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart beat. It’s more common in the aging adult. Arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals on the heart are not working correctly and making the heart beat in irregular rhythm. Many different things can lead to arrhythmias.Cardiac arrhythmias can be caused by a heart attack, scarring from prior heart attack, blocked arteries (CAD), hypertension, changes to your heart's structure, such as from cardiomyopathy. Most common arrhythmias in the elderly are tachycardia and bradycardia. Tachycardia is a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute and bradycardia is less than 60 beats per minute. Tachycardia is most commonly caused by age-related deterioration of the heart or an underlying medical condition. It is a disruption of the normal electrical signal. Bradycardia is caused by changes to the heart related to aging.It is also a disruption of the normal electrical signal. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition caused by the weakening of the heart and the cardiovascular system. It develops when the heart is not able to pump enough blood. Some causes of CHF would include, narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle – coronary artery disease, past heart attack, or myocardial infarction, with scar tissue that interferes with the heart muscle’s normal work, high blood pressure, heart valve disease, primary disease of the heart muscle itself, called cardiomyopathy.High blood pressure is the leading cause of CHF in the elderly. High blood bressure put high demands on the heart to pump blood. This prolonged demand weakens the heart muscle over time. The heart doesn't pump as efficiently as it should, the blood slows down and less blood is pumped. The blood returning to the heart backs up in the veins forcing fluid from the blood vessels into tissues of the feet and legs. The swelling that results is call â€Å"edema†. Bibliography Medline Plu s, Aging changes in the heart and blood vessels, Retrieved April 1, 2013 From http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/004006. htmJenkins, Kemnitz, Tortora (2010) Anatomy and Physiology From Science to Life Danvers, MA: John Wiley and Sons Inc Pat Joiner-Myers, Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions 8th Edition Medscape, Cardiovascular Physiology- Changes With Aging , Retrieved April 1, 2013 From http://www. medscape. com/viewarticle/450564_2 References 1. Office for National Statistics: General Lifestyle Survey (2007) www. statistics. gov. uk/statbase/product. asp? vlnk=5756 2. Vasan RS, Beiser A, Seshadri S et al. Residual lifetime risk for developing hypertension in middle-aged women and men. JAMA 287, 1003–1010 (2002).