• Question: do you think that the heart can age?

    Asked by razwan to Fiona on 20 Mar 2012. This question was also asked by razorsharpmiami.
    • Photo: Fiona Hatch

      Fiona Hatch answered on 20 Mar 2012:

      Yes I believe the heart can age. My research is actually looking at this.

      I wanted to find out how the heart changes while we age and also what causes these changes. One of the main changes is how the heart beats and the piece of tissue that causes this (known as the sinoatrial node).

      This piece of tissue seems to change A LOT with age. And causes many problems. It is the main cause of heart attacks and cardiac arrests in the elderly population. Finding out why this happens is part of my research and what I want to continue to research.

      As you get older it has been shown that your heart becomes weaker. So it is important to take care of your heart from a young age and continue to do so which would keep it stronger for longer.

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