The 45 menu has been collapsed. Some changes in the heart and blood vessels normally occur with age. However, many other changes that are common with aging are due to or worsened by modifiable factors. If not treated, these can lead to heart disease.
The right side pumps blood to the lungs to receive oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. The left side pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body. Blood flows out of the heart, first through the aorta, then through arteries, which branch out and get smaller and smaller as they go into the tissues. In the tissues, they become tiny capillaries. Capillaries are where the blood gives up oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, and receives carbon dioxide and wastes back from the tissues.
Then, the vessels begin to collect together into larger and larger veins, which return blood to the heart. The heart has a natural pacemaker system that controls the heartbeat. Some of the pathways of this system may develop fibrous tissue and fat deposits. These changes may result in a slightly slower heart rate. A slight increase in the size of the heart, especially the left ventricle occurs in some people. The heart wall thickens, so the amount of blood that the chamber can hold may actually decrease despite the increased overall heart size. The heart may fill more slowly.
ECG of a healthy younger adult. They may be caused by several types of heart disease. Normal changes in the heart include deposits of the “aging pigment,” lipofuscin. The heart muscle cells degenerate slightly. The valves inside the heart, which control the direction of blood flow, thicken and become stiffer.