Aging is a primary risk factor for cardiac arrhythmias: disruption of intracellular Ca²⁺ regulation as a key suspect

Abstract

Aging is an inevitable time-dependent progression associated with a functional decline of the cardiovascular system even in ‘healthy’ individuals. Age positively correlates with an increasing risk of cardiac problems including arrhythmias. Not only the prevalence but also the severity of arrhythmias escalates with age. The reasons for this are multifactorial but dysregulation of intracellular calcium within the heart is likely to play a key role in initiating and perpetuating these life-threatening events. We now know that several aspects of cardiac calcium regulation significantly change with advancing age – changes that could produce electrical instability. Further development of knowledge of the mechanisms underlying these changes will allow us to reduce what currently is an inevitable increase in the incidence of arrhythmias in the elderly.

Keywords::

• action potential
• aging
• arrhythmia
• calcium
• conduction
• elderly
• heart
• sinoatrial node

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.