November 25, 2019
Aging Means Changes, Especially For Your Heart
Wine, cheese, and fine leather all improve with age. If you take preventative measures for your heart health, you will too.
Our hearts change as we age, and though that fact is inevitable, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of age-related heart disease. First, let’s look at how your heart works to circulate blood through your body.
Small But Mighty
Your heart is only the size of a fist but has the capacity to pump 2,000 gallons of blood per day. The heart is a muscle comprised of valves, arteries, and chambers with two sides that work differently to keep your body going.
- Blood pumps from the left side of your heart through arteries and capillaries to your body tissue, supplying oxygen and collecting carbon dioxide.
- Blood vessels carry the waste back to your heart to be circulated and expelled.
- The right side pumps blood to your lungs to release carbon dioxide and re-oxygenate the blood.
So, how does aging change this process? Age-related changes can include:
- An increase in heart size and thicker walls, leaving less room for blood flow
- Stiffening valves that control the direction of blood flow
- Decreased ability to naturally adjust heart rate
- Thicker blood vessels and poorer nutrient/waste exchange
With these changes comes a decreased ability to effectively pump blood through your body, leaving you at risk for murmurs, an abnormal heartbeat, and heart attacks. Protect your heart at every age by:
- Keeping a heart-healthy diet that’s low in fat and sodium
- Staying active
- Getting regular check-ups
- Quitting or reducing smoking
To learn more about how Embassy Healthcare can help you take preventative steps to protect your heart from age-related risks, call 888-975-1379 or contact us online.
