As you may already know, your risk of developing heart disease increases as you age. But you may not know why this occurs and what happens to your heart and veins as you grow older. Because your risk of developing coronary heart disease increases as you age, it’s important to receive regular checks and talk to your doctor about improving your heart health and receiving any necessary vein treatment.
What Happens to Your Heart and Blood Vessels as You Grow Older?
As you age, so do other components of your body, including your blood vessels. As you grow older, your blood vessels become less pliable and flexible, making it more difficult for the blood to flow easily through them. And, if you’ve developed plaque, or fatty deposit, that have collected along your artery walls, it can slow the blood flow from your heart.
The most prevalent aging change people realize as they grow older is increased stiffness of the body large arteries. This increased stiffness is called arteriosclerosis, hardening of the arteries.
This, along with other poor health habits, like poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and excess weight can all increase your heart disease risk. And, if you have other risk factors of coronary heart disease, such as having diabetes, smoking or high blood pressure, you increase your risk of suffering a heart attack.
As you age, your heat can also develop fat deposits and fibrous tissue. This can cause a slower heart rate. Your heart valves can stiffen as you grow older, leading to a heart murmur. You may also develop abnormal rhythms, known as arrhythmias as you age.
Besides changes in the actual heart muscle, your blood may also change as you get older. As a normal part of the aging process, you realize a reduced volume of total body water. Because of this, you have less fluid in your bloodstream and you have a decrease in blood volume.
Understanding the Aging Heart
Because of these factors and others, an older heart may not be as efficient at pumping blood as its younger counterpart. Other factors that can make your heart work less efficient include some medications, infections, stress, illness, injuries and physical activities.
Get Regular Checkups for Your Heart
Our team of doctors at Premier Heart & Vein Care is dedicated to your heart health as you age. We invite you to call us at 1-805-979-4777 to schedule a checkup and receive hear care or vein care from our experts. We strongly believe in educating our patients about their own heart health, and are dedicated to doing so. We encourage our patients to learn more about their conditions, and ask any and all questions regarding their heart health and vein treatment plan.
