Limacher M C
Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610-0277.
South Med J. 1994 May;87(5):S13-6.
Changes in cardiac structure occur with increasing age. Cardiac function is also altered, partially by the increase in blood pressure that accompanies aging. Diastolic left ventricular dysfunction, in particular, is more common in older individuals. In the elderly, maximal exercise produces a higher end-diastolic volume to achieve maximal increase in cardiac output, but the increase in ejection fraction is less than in younger subjects Also, a high proportion of apparently healthy elderly subjects, if carefully tested, are found to have occult coronary artery disease. Thus, exercise performance and testing have special considerations in the elderly. Older individuals who exercise regularly have a lower resting heart rate and blood pressure and improved fitness, balance, and gait. Those who maintain a pattern of routine exercise are at lower risk for cardiovascular events. In most cases, exercise can be recommended as an important strategy for promotion of cardiovascular health.
心脏结构会随着年龄增长而发生变化。心脏功能也会改变，部分原因是伴随衰老出现的血压升高。尤其是舒张期左心室功能障碍在老年人中更为常见。在老年人中，最大运动量时会产生更高的舒张末期容积以实现心输出量的最大增加，但射血分数的增加低于年轻受试者。此外，如果仔细检测，会发现相当比例看似健康的老年受试者患有隐匿性冠状动脉疾病。因此，运动表现和测试在老年人中有特殊的考量。经常锻炼的老年人静息心率和血压较低，身体适应性、平衡能力和步态也有所改善。保持常规锻炼模式的人发生心血管事件的风险较低。在大多数情况下，可推荐运动作为促进心血管健康的一项重要策略。
