CHANGES WITH AGING - CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
Changes in our cardiovascular system
affect its overall function. The cardiovascular system
responds less efficiently to various stresses with age.
Disease in the heart muscle, heart valves, and coronary
arteries mask any age-related changes.
More on cardiovascular disease.
The Heart
The heart grows slightly larger with age. Maximal oxygen
consumption during exercise declines in men by about
10 percent with each decade of adult life and in women,
by about 7.5 percent. However, cardiac output stays
nearly the same as the heart pumps more efficiently.
The ability of the heart to contract include a prolonged
contraction time, decreased response to various medications
that ordinarily stimulate the heart, and increased resistance
to electrical stimulation are noticeable with age.
The elastic properties of the heart muscle are also
altered. Source Image: Pearce Prentice Hall
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Blood Vessels
Irregularities in size and shape develop in the cells
that line blood vessels, and the layers in the blood
vessel wall become thickened with connective tissue.
Our large arteries increase in size and thickness. The
blood vessel walls become less flexible making it harder
to pump blood to the extremities. Nutrition and diet
play an integral part in maintaining the health of your
vascular system. Hardening of the arteries is known
as arteriosclerosis.
Supplements
to help maintain a healthy vascular system.
Heartbeat
The cells responsible for producing heartbeats become
infiltrated with connective tissue and fat. Similar
but less dramatic changes occur in other parts of the
heart's electrical system. These changes do not appear
to be due to poor blood supply. Arrythmia [ irregular
heart beat] becomes more common with age. Milder forms
show improvement with nutritional support. The following
mix was recommended by a local cardiac specialist.
The three nutrients should be taken together, in the
proportions above. Please consult your doctor first,
as some items may impact other conditions or medications.
Alternatively you may find it more convenient
to use a Healthy
Heart Formula
Max Heart Rate
Changes in a linear manner and may be estimated by
subtracting our age from 220. Aerobic
exercise is the most effective means of maintaining
a health heart; but care should be taken to ensure that
you stay within the maximum heart rate for your age
range. For superior results, try High
Intensity Interval Training. Using a heart rate
monitor is advised. These are not expensive and help
ensure you are getting the maximum results as well as
protecting your heart.
Heart
Rate Monitors
Resting Heart Rate
The amount of blood pumped by the heart over time (cardiac
output) do not change. The cardiac output with work
may increase, even though there is a decrease in the
maximum heart rate. This increase in cardiac output
occurs because the amount of blood pumped with each
beat increases to compensate for the decreased heart
rate with age.
Blood Flow
Blood flow within various organs varies: In the kidney
it may decrease by 50 percent, and in the brain by 15
to 20 percent. Following stress, it takes longer for
our heart rate and our blood pressure to return to resting
levels.
Blood Pressure
Increases with age due to stiffness within the blood
vessels. Prolonged periods of high stress and regular
physical activity have a significant impact. Many natural
suppplements for hypertension
[high blood pressure] support the adrenal system to
reduce stress. More
on hypertension.
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Stress Formula
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