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Aging can affect the organs of the body. The cardiovascular system is also a part affected by the natural aging process. Therefore, understanding the aging problem will help you to adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
1. Effects of aging on the cardiovascular system
The heart plays an important role in the body, normally the right ventricle will pump blood to the lungs to receive oxygen, then to the left atrium, then to the left ventricle to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body. After metabolism, blood will return to the heart through the venous system and empty into the right atrium, then down to the right ventricle to continue the circulation. In young people, the ability to meet the body's oxygen needs is good, when you exercise a lot, the heart muscle will increase contraction to supply oxygen to the body. However, as we age, along with natural aging, the cardiovascular system no longer works as well as it did when we were young. Changes in the cardiovascular system as we age include:1.1 Changes of the heart Left The heart has a natural pacemaker system to control the heart rhythm including the sinus node, the atrioventricular node... Some sites of this system can develop fibrous tissue and accumulate fat and lose some cells. its cell. These changes can lead to a slightly slower heart rate that is difficult to respond to the increased heart rate. Slight increase in the size of the heart, especially the left ventricle, occurs in some people. The wall of the heart thickens, so the amount of blood the chambers can hold actually decreases. Changes in heart rate: Older adults are more likely to have heart rhythm problems than younger people. The heart rate may change irregularly, such as an arrhythmia. Cardiac muscle cells are slightly degraded. The valves inside the heart, which control the direction of blood flow, thicken and become stiffer. On auscultation, a heart murmur due to stiffening of the heart valve is quite common in the elderly.
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1.2 Changes in the vascular system Sensors on blood vessels called baroreceptors monitor blood pressure and make changes to help maintain a fairly stable blood pressure when a person changes position or is exercising. other activities. The receptor cells become less sensitive to the aging process. This may explain why so many older people have low blood pressure. This causes dizziness because less blood reaches the brain. The aorta becomes thicker, stiffer, and less flexible. This is probably related to changes in the connective tissue of the blood vessel wall. This leads to higher blood pressure and makes the heart work harder, which can lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Other arteries also thicken and harden. In general, most older people have a moderate increase in blood pressure. The capillary wall is slightly thickened. This can cause a slightly slower rate of metabolism of nutrients and waste.
Changes in the cardiovascular system make the elderly face more chronic diseases. Some cardiovascular diseases may be encountered such as:
Angina (chest pain caused by temporary reduction in blood flow to the heart muscle) caused by coronary artery narrowing by atherosclerotic factors or blood clots. This condition is common in people over 65 years of age. Irregular heart rhythms: Due to aging associated with impulse points, irregular heartbeats of various forms can occur. Atherosclerosis is a very common condition. Fatty plaques are deposited inside the blood vessels causing them to narrow and completely block the blood vessels. Causes lack of blood supply to organs seen in conditions such as stroke, myocardial infarction. Congestive heart failure is also very common in the elderly. In people over 75 years of age, congestive heart failure occurs 10 times more often than in younger people. Hypertension and orthostatic hypotension are more common with increasing age. It is the result of aging and is also largely caused by our living habits as children. As people get older, people become more sensitive to salt, so increasing salt in the diet can also cause high blood pressure. Heart valve diseases are quite common, in which aortic stenosis is the most common valve disease in the elderly.
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2. How to reduce the harmful effects of aging on the heart?
Aging is unstoppable but we can choose to live a healthy life to avoid the harmful effects of aging on the heart. Especially for the elderly, it is very necessary to control a good lifestyle and regularly check for cardiovascular diseases.
Some of the measures recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) to maintain ideal heart health include:
Get physically active for at least 30 minutes a day. Do this 5 days or more per week. Exercises that are suitable for each person can be performed. Stop smoking: Stopping active and passive smoking reduces the risk of many diseases including cardiovascular disease. Follow a healthy diet, including plenty of fruits and vegetables. Limit eating fast or processed foods, reduce salt intake. Maintain a healthy weight: Try to keep your body mass index (BMI) below 25. In addition, an effective way to maintain heart health is to regularly check your heart by measuring blood pressure regularly. , testing blood fats, blood sugar to know the risk of cardiovascular disease...
A healthy lifestyle helps people's hearts be healthier, limiting the effects of aging on functional activities. It's never too late to start living a healthier, more active life every day. So start now no matter what age you are.
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