In: Nursing
List the hemodynamic changes that occur with aging. Heart and neck vessels
Hemodynamic refers to the movement or flow of blood in the body.
Changes in Heart
1. Structural changes- With aging there is a progressive degenerative changes in the cardiac structures like loss of elasticity, fibrotic changes in the valves of the heart.
Calcium deposits can happen in and around cardiac valves leading to stenosis
2. Functional changes- With aging there are many functional changes like decreased reserve capacity of heart and inability to compenensate with increased demand of body in case of physical exercice.
Changes in blood vessels
1. With aging realted degenerative changes, calcification process blood vessels loses there elasticity and become more stiff which impairs function of the vessels.
2.Reduced elastin level makes i difficult for the blod vessels to change there diameter.
3. Increased deposition of fatty tissues leads to thickening of capilleries causing exchange of oxygen and nutrients in body difficult.
4. The wall of the aorta becomes less flexible and stiffens with age hence blod circulation in body in compromised.
Changes in blood pressure
Aging can be associated with risk of atherosclerosis and calcium deposit in blood vessels leading to reduced blood flow and hardening of blood vessels hense causing increase in blood pressure.
Changes in blood
1. with Aging the rate at which RBC and WBC are produced in Body can be reduced leading to slow response to infection and blood loss.
2. Desreased nutrients in body can lead to anemia in old age.
Changes in Neck Vessels:
The major blood vessel present in neck is carotid arteries it carries blood to brain. Arterial stiffening related to aging can reduce the diameter of great vessels supplying the cerebral system thereby reducing th oxygen and nutrient supply to brain. leading to progrssive damage to brain cells.