Age is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Heart disease and stroke rise steeply after age 65, accounting for more than 40 percent of all deaths among people age 65 to 74 and almost 60 percent at age 85 and above. People age 65 and over are much more likely than younger people to suffer a heart attack, to have a stroke, and to develop coronary heart disease and high blood pressure leading to heart failure. Cardiovascular diseases are also major causes of disability, limiting the activity and eroding the quality of life of millions of older people each year. Their cost to the Nation is in the billions. To understand why aging is so closely linked to cardiovascular disease, and ultimately to understand the causes and cures for this group of diseases, it is essential to understand what is happening in the heart and arteries during normal aging-aging in the absence of disease.