Effects of age on ventricular-vascular coupling
- 1 April 1985
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Elsevier BV in The American Journal of Cardiology
- Vol. 55 (9), 1179-1184
- https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9149(85)90659-9
Abstract
The effects of age on the interrelation between the physical properties of the arterial tree (aortic input impedance) and left ventricular performance (cardiac output) were studied in 45 subjects, aged 19-62 yr, without apparent cardiovascular disease. Ascending aortic pulsatile pressure and blood flow velocity were measured with a multisensor catheter and cardiac output by green dye or the Fick method. Heart rate and end-diastolic aortic pressure remained unchanged with age; aortic systolic, mean and pulse pressures and aortic radius increased. In subjects younger than 30 yr, early systolic pressure usually exceeded late systolic pressure (type C beat); in subjects older than 50 yr, late systolic pressure usually exceeded early systolic pressure (type A beat). In 55% of subjects aged 30-50 yr, early and late systolic pressures were essentially equal (type B beat). The impedance spectra from all subjects showed fluctuations about the characteristic impedance (index of elastance) that were greater in the older subjects. Peripheral resistance increased 37% (r = 0.47, P < 0.001) over the age range of 20-60 yr; characteristic impedance increased 137% (r = 0.66, P < 0.001). The fundamental impedance modulus increased; the impedance modulus minimum shifted to a higher frequency. These changes in the impedance spectral pattern indicate that the ascending aorta becomes stiffer and the cross section of the peripheral vascular bed decreases with age, causing increased pulse wave velocity and wave reflection. This increase in vascular load may account for the observed decrease in stroke volume (23%, P < 0.025) and cardiac output (20%, P < 0.005) and the development of mild left ventricular hypertrophy and prolonged relaxation with advancing age.This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effects of aging on changing arterial compliance and left ventricular load in a northern Chinese urban community.Circulation, 1983
- Left ventricular afterload and aortic input impedance: Implications of pulsatile blood flowProgress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 1982
- Aortic input impedance in normal man: relationship to pressure wave forms.Circulation, 1980
- Age changes in myocardial function and exercise responseProgress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 1976
- Influence of acute changes in preload, afterload, contractile state and heart rate on ejection and isovolumic indices of myocardial contractility in man.Circulation, 1976
- Prolonged contraction duration in aged myocardium.JCI Insight, 1975
- Steady and Pulsatile Energy Losses in the Systemic Circulation under Normal Conditions and in Simulated Arterial DiseaseCardiovascular Research, 1967
- Physiological Aspects of Aging in ManAnnual Review of Physiology, 1961
- Changes in Cardiac Output with AgeCell Metabolism, 1955
- I. The Croonian Lecture. On the functions of the heart and arteriesPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1809