Cardiovascular changes in aging: understanding homeostasis and heart disease

Nurse Speech to Group of Residents in a Large Independent Living Facility

The information addressed today in this speech are those involving the body's regulation of the correct numbers and ratios of blood cells and how blood pressure homeostasis is achieved as well as age-related changes to the heart including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction.

Homeostatis and the Body's Balancing Act

The work of Vikrant and Tiwan (nd) report that studies on the population indicate that blood pressure is a continuous variable and there is really not a line that divides normal and abnormal values. However, there is a point of balance also called internal equilibrium and this is known as homeostasis. This state of balance describes how the human body reacts to certain changes. This can be viewed by picturing a set of scales in which coins are poured in unevenly with one side heavier than the other. The result is that one side falls because the scale is not balanced. The body behaves in the same manner although in a more complex way than this example. The human body changes constantly and this means the body requires a great number of small adjustments each and every second as the body received new input that puts it off balance.

The body's imbalance may manifest itself in various ways through problems with the kidneys, heart, or blood pressure as well as in a variety of ways. When one of the systems of the body becomes ill or damaged the body as a whole experiences am imbalance as homeostasis can be viewed as the perfect balanced state of the human body. The body comes under threat when processes like blood pressure or blood sugar levels are off indicating that there is a medical condition underlying these problems. Toxins, when introduced into the body's bloodstream may disrupt homeostasis.

Testing Procedures

Testing used to diagnose congestive heart failure include the echocardiography and blood testing. Congestive heart failure may be caused by myocardial infarction and other forms of ischemic heart disease as well as hypertension, valvular heart disease and cardiomyopahy. Heart failure is a condition that incurs great expenses and may even result in disability or death.

Treatment

Treatment of congestive heart failure includes medication, proper diet, exercise and regular examinations. Congestive heart failure patients are subject to an overload of fluid and those who are treated with heart failure are often in a dehydrated state.