Keeping the Heart Young in an Old Body by Christopher Whitty

Lecture by Professor Christopher Whitty. The heart was the organ that, until recently, aged fastest in wealthier societies, with death and disability from heart disease common in otherwise healthy older people. Deaths from heart disease have dropped rapidly over the last three decades, and disability from cardiac failure is substantially reduced in many countries. A combination of lifestyle changes such as reduced smoking, public health, medical and surgical interventions mean that it is now possible to keep the heart relatively young in an aging body. This lecture will consider how keeping the heart relatively young in the elderly has been achieved in incremental steps, and the implications for other health problems. (from gresham.ac.uk)