The cardiovascular system is a term that describes your heart and its associated blood vessels--or circulatory system--which collectively pump oxygen-rich blood to your body and retrieve oxygen-depleted blood for replenishment in your lungs. As you age, normal changes in your cardiovascular system tend to reduce blood flow in your body. However, the extent of these changes can vary considerably, and you may be able to diminish some changes through regular exercise.
Heart Changes
Several changes typically occur in the structure of your heart as you age, according to the Merck Manual of Geriatrics. These include increased thickness in the wall of your left ventricle in your lower heart; minor enlargement of the left ventricle itself; enlargement of the left atrium in your upper heart; and overall enlargement of the outline of your heart when viewed on an X-ray. Almost half of all people older than 70 also experience an increase in the number of abnormal, potentially harmful proteins--called amyloids--inside their hearts.
Blood Vessel Changes
Advancing age also brings changes to your blood vessels--including thickening of the walls of your major arteries, the Merck Manual of Geriatrics reports. In addition, your arteries typically undergo elongation and dilation. Underlying causes for thickening in aging arteries include the accumulation of cellular debris and disintegration of the elastic membrane located inside your arteries. When taken together, these factors may also act as a trigger for atherosclerosis, or hardening of your arteries. Advancing age also increases the presence of the connective tissue called collagen. This increase can change the way collagen interacts with your blood vessels and trigger a loss in vessel elasticity.
Reduced Blood Flow
Diminished blood flow associated with the changes in your heart and blood vessels can reduce the strength of the tissues in your body, according to Utah State University. Underlying reasons for this reduction include decreases in available nourishment for your cells; decreases in the oxygen exchanged within your tissues; and reductions in the function of your liver and kidneys. The effects of diminished blood flow typically manifest by the time you reach your 70s.
Increased Risks
In combination, the changes in your cardiovascular system associated with normal aging can significantly increase your chances of experiencing high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, heart attack or stroke, Utah State reports. Reduced blood flow can also increase your chances of experiencing a toxic reaction to medications, as well as a diminished response to stress and a slower rate of healing from wounds or injuries.
Considerations
Doctors are not sure whether the cardiovascular diseases associated with aging occur because of aging itself, the Merck Manual of Geriatrics notes. In fact, it may be possible that elderly people experience these diseases more frequently because they have a longer overall timeframe of risk exposure than younger people. Additionally, not all aging people undergo the same cardiovascular changes. If you exercise regularly, you can potentially increase your oxygen exchange rate, reverse decreases in cardiac function and diminish the effects of age-related blood vessel stiffness.
