June 30, 2006, Newsletter Issue #2: The Elderly and Heart Disease Risk

Tip of the Week

Cardiovascular disease is currently the leading cause of death in people over 65 years of age. Approximately 85 percent of people who die from coronary artery disease are over the age of 65.

The most common type of heart disease in the elderly population is coronary artery disease.

It is believed that the elderly are at higher-risk for heart disease because of their age and the fact that there may have been accumulated heart damage throughout a person's lifetime.

For example, as a person grows older, his or her heart often changes. The muscles in an elderly persons heart may become less able to relax between beats. The end result of this is the chambers that pump the blood become stiff and do not work as well.

An elderly persons heart may not pump as well as it used to, which leads to the heart losing its effectiveness. These factors often leave an elderly person's heart more susceptible to diseases.

It is also believed that as a person ages so does the person's chances of developing high blood pressure. High blood pressure is often associated with heart failure, stroke, and heart attack.

It is important for the population, as it grows older, to have blood pressure checks regularly.

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