ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in industrialized nations, with atherosclerotic vascular disease being the leading killer due to sudden cardiac death and/or myocardial infarction (MI). As we age, however, there are numerous other functional and structural changes that may occur in the cardiovascular system contributing to increasing morbidity and mortality. While many of these changes have been considered “degenerative”, as knowledge increases it is becoming more clear that most of these processes are “regulated” and do not occur simply due to wear and tear. In this chapter, we will review the major structural abnormalities that affect the aging heart.
