Aging Doesn’t Inherently Cause Artery Stiffness

ReactDx, producers of a state-of-the-art ECG monitor, is sharing a new journal report that debunks the thought that aging and genetics are the cause of increased blood vessel stiffness. Instead, modifiable lifestyle factors are said to play an important role. In fact, in the article Effects of Aging on the Heart and Blood Vessels published by Michael J. Shea, MD of the University of Michigan Health Systems states that exercise can actually reduce the effects of aging.

The American Heart Association published their journal report Healthy Arteries May be Possible With Aging in May of 2017. The authors Asya Lyass, Ph.D.; Martin G. Larson, S.D.; Naomi M. Hamburg, M.D., M.S.; Emelia J. Benjamin, M.D., Sc.M.; Gary F. Mitchell, M.D.; and Ramachandran S. Vasan, M.D. demonstrated that although having healthy arteries after hitting the age of 70 can be difficult, it is not impossible.

The authors point to the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple Seven Checklist as the best way to keep your aging blood vessels working as they were designed to. These modifiable lifestyle factors include managing your blood pressure, controlling your cholesterol, reducing your blood sugar, getting active, eating better, losing weight, and stopping smoking.

A total of 3,196 adults over the age of 50 were studied by the authors, who got their information from the Framingham Heart Study. The first thing the doctors did was search for adults who recorded normal blood pressure and a level of blood vessel stiffness that matched what you’d find in a 30-year-old patient. Five hundred and sixty-six individuals met this criteria.

The senior patients that had healthy arteries were found to have low body mass indexes and good cholesterol levels. The authors also discovered that participants who met at least six of the seven items on the Simple Seven Checklist were 10 times more likely to have a healthier vascular system.

The report concludes by disclosing that the adults within the study who were found to have healthy arteries were also at a 55 percent less risk for coming down with cardiovascular disease later in life. Remind your patients that age does not have to correlate with heart issues. To further reduce the risk of heart disease, physicians can monitor patients with one of ReactDx’s ECG monitors. You can contact ReactDx at 800-234-3278, or learn more by visiting our News & Updates page.

Jodi is a seasoned Human Resources professional who thrives on change and transformation. She fell in love with Human Resources when she attended Penn State University for graduate school in Public Administration with a curriculum that emphasized Human Resources. After earning her Master’s degree she began her career in the manufacturing industry in Talent Acquisition and was eventually assigned the overall HR Management responsibility of three divisions which included collective bargaining. Ultimately, she made her way to transitioning a new division of a Fortune 100 company under the corporate model as well as developing and executing Human Resources policies and procedures across a broad range of functional disciplines. At the next juncture of her career, she was tapped on the shoulder by former Executives that she previously worked with to join in on an exciting start-up. Today, Jodi is the Vice President of Talent Relations and Development for Medicomp Inc dba ReactDx and is responsible for managing the strategic Human Resources function which includes mergers and acquisitions for this rapidly expanding company.

Jodi and her husband enjoy landscaping, finding new restaurants and traveling whenever life gives them the opportunity.

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