Cardiac Changes and its function

Anatomy and Physiology of the heart

Heart
The heart is the main organ of the cardiovascular system, a network of blood vessels
that pumps blood throughout the body. It also works with other body systems to control heart
rate and blood pressure.
Anatomy of the Heart
Heart walls
Heart walls are the muscles that contract (squeeze and relax to send blood throughout
the body.
The heart walls have three layers:

 Endocardium – inner layer

 Myocardium – muscular middle layer
 Epicardium – protective outer layer
Heart Chambers

 Right Atrium – two large veins deliver oxygen poor blood to your right atrium. The
superior and inferior vena cava. The right atrium pumps blood to the right ventricle.
 Right Ventricle – the lower right chamber pumps the oxygen-poor blood to your lungs
through the pulmonary artery.
 Left Atrium – After the lungs fill blood with oxygen, the pulmonary veins carry the blood
to the left atrium. The upper chamber pumps the blood to your left ventricle.
 Left Ventricle – It pumps oxygen-rich blood to the aorta and to the rest of the body
Heart valves
Atrioventricular valves

 Tricuspid valve
 Mitral valve
Semilunar valves

 Aortic valve
 Pulmonary valve
Blood vessels

 Arteries – carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of the body.
 Veins – carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart
 Capillaries – small blood vessels where the body exchanges oxygen-rich and oxygen-
poor blood
Aging changes

 The most common aging change is increased stiffness of the large arteries, called
arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
 The chambers of the heart may become thicker and stiffer.
 The heart can’t beat as fast during physical activity or times of stress as it did when we
were younger
Heart diseases

 Myocardial infarction
 Arrhythmia
 Hypertension
 Orthostatic Hypotension
 Congestive Heart Failure
 Coronary Artery disease