ABSTRACT
Age is a key risk factor for cardiac disease. With an ever-expanding older population, the burden of cardiovascular disease is set to increase. In the older cardiovascular system, it is often difficult to disentangle the effects of age per se from the effects of prolonged exposure to other cardiovascular risk factors. This chapter discusses the molecular and cellular changes in the cardiovascular system, the changes in metabolic processes and cellular signalling and the anatomical and physiological changes in the myocardium and vasculature that occur with age. It addresses the effects of age-related changes on common cardiovascular diseases and their management. Ageing is also associated with increased deposition of amyloid, lipofuscin and collagen in myocardial tissue. The heart valves are similarly affected, becoming calcified and fibrosed. Heart rate variability is closely related to cardiac autonomic function. The ageing heart becomes less responsive to catecholamines - often associated with a reduction in diurnal heart rate variability.
