Normal Human Heart Anatomy Indicates Age-Related Adaptations

Abstract

Our understanding of age-related alterations in the normal heart has been expanded by recent findings. Age causes considerable increases in heart weight, ventricular septal wall thickness, and maybe left ventricular free wall thickness, as well as valve circumferences. There are increases in fat, collagen, elastin, and lipofuscin in the myocardium. Due to a decrease in base-to-apex dimension, a rightward shift and dilation of the aortic root, and left atrial dilation, the geometry of the heart also alters. Along their appositional surfaces, the aortic and mitral valves thicken and become fibrotic, and their annuli are the sites of collagen degradation, lipid buildup, and calcification. The coronary arteries become convoluted, dilated, and calcified at specific sites. The atria and ventricles exhibit atrophy and lack of specialised conduction tissue. Despite their ordinarily modest nature, these alterations may impair the ability of the ageing heart to adjust to the strains imposed by a number of cardiovascular disorders.