Aging and Your Heart: Understanding Cardiovascular Changes Over Time
Explore the natural evolution of your cardiovascular system as you grow older. Uncover how aging affects your heart and arteries, providing insights into maintaining heart health throughout your life.
DR T S DIDWAL MD
1/18/20245 min read
According to a review published in the journal Tufts Now, the health of our cardiovascular system becomes increasingly critical as we age. Our blood vessels, arteries, and heart play a pivotal role in maintaining overall well-being. The aging process can, however, lead to various issues such as stiffening arteries, plaque buildup, and inflammation, which, in turn, elevate the risk of heart diseases and related complications. This article delves into the intricate relationship between aging and cardiovascular health, shedding light on factors like genetics, lifestyle choices, and the role of gender.
Key points
Stiffening Arteries:
Our arteries aren't just passive tubes. They expand and contract to deliver blood where it's needed and flex with each heartbeat, smoothing out pressure. But over time, they become less flexible, making it harder for blood to flow, raising blood pressure, and stressing the heart.
Estrogen's Role:
Estrogen seems to protect the cardiovascular system. Women have lower arterial stiffness when young, but after menopause, it rises sharply, exceeding men's in some cases. Dr. Jennifer DuPont is studying how estrogen receptors in blood vessels change with age. She found that in mice, deleting these receptors protected older females from arterial stiffening. Unbound estrogen receptors might be harmful to heart health, and DuPont is looking for ways to target them for potential therapies.
Plaques and Inflammation:
Cholesterol deposits called plaques can build up in the arteries. Our body sends white blood cells to fight them, forming a cap over the plaque. While plaques can narrow arteries, they're not usually dangerous unless they rupture. A ruptured plaque forms a blood clot, which can block an artery and cause a heart attack or stroke.
Inflammation and the Mineralocorticoid Receptor:
Dr. Iris Jaffe studies how inflammation affects blood vessels. She found that plaques in young female mice are less inflamed than those in males, which might explain why young women are less prone to heart attacks and strokes. As we age, our blood vessels become more susceptible to general inflammation, with white blood cells constantly on high alert. Jaffe linked this age-related inflammation, stiffening, and constriction to an increase in the mineralocorticoid receptor in blood vessels. Blocking this receptor in mice prevented these signs of aging, and similar results were seen in human blood vessel cells. She also found that estrogen interacts with this receptor and suspects that the combination of high mineralocorticoid receptors and low estrogen after menopause leads to increased inflammation and heart attack risk.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy:
While some aging effects are inevitable, we can take steps to keep our cardiovascular system healthy. Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein recommends a heart-healthy diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein and low in salt and added sugar. She emphasizes finding a dietary pattern you enjoy and that fits your preferences and cultural background. Other important lifestyle choices include avoiding smoking, staying active, managing stress, and getting enough sleep. Taking care of your heart early is key, as it's much easier to prevent damage than reverse it later.
Stiffening Arteries: A Common Challenge
The human circulatory system is a complex network of blood vessels and arteries designed to efficiently transport oxygen and nutrients throughout our bodies. With each heartbeat, blood flows through these vessels, helping to maintain our vitality. However, as we age, our blood vessels may become less flexible. This loss of flexibility can have significant repercussions. When our blood vessels stiffen, they become less adaptable and can struggle to distribute blood efficiently to where it's needed. This can lead to an increase in blood pressure, faster pressure waves, and added stress on the heart. The results may include a heightened risk of heart failure and other cardiac issues. Remarkably, estrogen seems to have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, particularly in women. Studies have shown that women generally exhibit lower arterial stiffness when they are young. However, a significant shift occurs during menopause, when their risk levels rise dramatically. The reasons behind these gender-specific differences are currently under investigation at Tufts University School of Medicine. Research conducted by Jennifer DuPont at the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute (MCRI) at Tufts Medical Center has been instrumental in this regard. Her work focuses on the role of estrogen and estrogen receptors in blood vessels, seeking to understand how they function as individuals age. Genetic deletion of estrogen receptors in older female mice has been found to protect them from the typical increase in arterial stiffness during menopause. This research aims to identify the effects of unbound receptors, which could potentially lead to the development of sex-specific therapeutic options.
Plaques and Inflammation: Unraveling the Connection
Throughout our lives, cholesterol deposits, known as plaques, can accumulate within our arteries. In response, our body dispatches white blood cells to these sites and eventually forms a cap of muscle cells over the plaque. While plaques can narrow arteries and potentially limit blood flow, they usually don't pose severe issues unless the cap ruptures. A ruptured plaque can lead to a blood clot, causing a heart attack or stroke. Studies have shown that plaques that are more inflamed, characterized by a higher presence of white blood cells, are more likely to rupture. Intriguingly, young female mice exhibit less inflammation in their plaques compared to their male counterparts. This observation might elucidate why younger females are generally more protected from heart attacks and strokes. Inflammation is the body's response to damage and plays a vital role in initiating the healing process while defending against potential infections. However, as individuals age, the cardiovascular system becomes increasingly prone to generalized inflammation, with white blood cells in a perpetual state of alertness. Iris Jaffe, the Elisa Kent Mendelsohn Professor of Molecular Cardiology at the School of Medicine and the executive director of MCRI, has been able to link the age-related increase in blood vessel inflammation, stiffness, and constriction to the mineralocorticoid receptor in blood vessels. Her research suggests that the combination of a high number of mineralocorticoid receptors and a low amount of estrogen in post-menopausal women contributes to the heightened risk of heart attacks.
Keeping the Heart Healthy: Tips for Aging Gracefully
While certain aspects of aging are inevitable, there are numerous steps individuals can take to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, recommends adopting a dietary pattern that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and limited salt and added sugar. This approach promotes heart health and can be customized to personal preferences and cultural backgrounds. In addition to dietary choices, lifestyle plays a significant role. Avoiding smoking, engaging in regular physical activity, managing stress, and ensuring adequate sleep are essential in maintaining healthy heart and blood vessels as we age. The key is to start early and establish good habits to prevent damage rather than attempt to reverse it later in life.
Conclusion
Understanding the intricate relationship between aging and cardiovascular health is pivotal in maintaining a healthy heart as we grow older. Genetics, lifestyle choices, and gender all play essential roles in the process. Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine are actively working to uncover the underlying mechanisms and develop tailored therapeutic options. By adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle early on, individuals can promote cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart-related issues, making the journey of aging a smoother and healthier one.
Reference Article
What Happens to our Cardiovascular System as We Age? (2023, October 2). Tufts Now. https://now.tufts.edu/2023/10/02/what-happens-our-cardiovascular-system-we-age
Related
Medical Disclaimer
The information on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.