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Aging changes in vital signs
Vital signs include body temperature, heart rate (pulse), breathing rate, and blood pressure. As you age, your vital signs may change, depending on how healthy you are. Some medical problems can cause changes in one or more vital signs.
Vital signs
Vital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...
Checking your vital signs helps your health care provider monitor your health and any medical problems you may have.
BODY TEMPERATURE
Normal body temperature does not change much with aging. But as you get older, it becomes harder for your body to control its temperature. A decrease in the amount of fat below the skin makes it harder to stay warm. You may need to wear layers of clothing to feel warm.
Normal body temperature
Normal body temperature varies by person, age, activity, and time of day. The average normal body temperature is generally accepted as 98. 6°F (37°C...
Aging decreases your ability to sweat. You may have difficulty telling when you are becoming overheated. This puts you at high risk of overheating ( heat stroke ). You can also be at risk for dangerous drops in body temperature.
Heat stroke
Heat emergencies or illnesses are caused by exposure to extreme heat and sun. Heat illnesses can be prevented by being careful in hot, humid weather...
Fever is an important sign of illness in older people. It is often the only symptom for several days of an illness. See your provider if you have a fever that is not explained by a known illness.
Fever
Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...
A fever is also a sign of infection. When an older person has an infection, their body may not be able to produce a higher temperature. For this reason, it is important to check other vital signs, as well as any symptoms and signs of infection.
HEART RATE AND BREATHING RATE
As you grow older, your pulse rate is about the same as before. But when you exercise, it may take longer for your pulse to increase and longer for it to slow down afterward. Your highest heart rate with exercise is also lower than it was when you were younger.
Breathing rate usually does not change with age. But lung function decreases slightly. Healthy older people can usually breathe without effort.
Lung function
Pulmonary function tests are a group of tests that measure breathing and how well the lungs are functioning.
BLOOD PRESSURE
Older people may become dizzy when standing up too quickly. This is due to a sudden drop in blood pressure. This kind of drop in blood pressure when standing is called orthostatic hypotension .
Dizzy
Dizziness is a term that is often used to describe 2 different symptoms: lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you might fai...
Hypotension
Low blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body do not get enough ...
Risk of having high blood pressure ( hypertension ) increases as you get older. Other heart-related problems common in older adults include:
Hypertension
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood to your body. Hypertension is the ...
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Very
slow pulse
or very fast pulse
Slow pulse
The pulse is the number of heartbeats per minute.
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Heart rhythm problems such as
atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation or flutter is a common type of abnormal heartbeat. The heart rhythm is fast and most often irregular.
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EFFECTS OF MEDICINES ON VITAL SIGNS
Medicines that are used to treat health problems in older people can affect the vital signs. For example, the medicine digoxin used for heart failure and blood pressure medicines called beta-blockers may cause the pulse to slow.
Heart failure
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...
Diuretics (water pills) can cause low blood pressure, most often when changing body position too quickly.
OTHER CHANGES
As you grow older, you will have other changes, including:
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In organs, tissues, and cells
In organs, tissues, and cells
All vital organs begin to lose some function as you age during adulthood. Aging changes occur in all of the body's cells, tissues, and organs, and t...
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In the heart and blood vessels
In the heart and blood vessels
Some changes in the heart and blood vessels normally occur with age. However, many other changes that are common with aging are due to modifiable fa...
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In the lungs
In the lungs
The lungs have two main functions. One is to get oxygen from the air into the body. The other is to remove carbon dioxide from the body. Your body...
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References
Chester JG, Rudolph JL. Vital signs in older patients: age-related changes. J Am Med Dir Assoc . 2011;12(5):337-343. PMID: 21450180 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21450180 .
Schiger DL. Approach to the patient with abnormal vital signs. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 8.
Walston JD. Common clinical sequelae of aging. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 25.
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Aerobic exercise - illustration
Aerobic exercise gets the heart working to pump blood through the heart more quickly and with more force than normal. As blood is pumped faster, it must be oxygenated more quickly, which quickens respiration. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and boosts healthy cholesterol levels. Low impact aerobics include walking and swimming. Running, tennis and dance are high impact aerobics.
Aerobic exercise
illustration
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Taking your carotid pulse - illustration
The carotid arteries take oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain. The pulse from the carotids may be felt on either side of the front of the neck just below the angle of the jaw. This rhythmic "beat" is caused by varying volumes of blood being pushed out of the heart toward the extremities.
Taking your carotid pulse
illustration
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Radial pulse - illustration
Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the tissues of the body. Veins carry blood depleted of oxygen from the same tissues back to the heart. The arteries are the vessels with the "pulse," a rhythmic pushing of the blood in the heart followed by a refilling of the heart chamber. To determine heart rate, one counts the beats at a pulse point like the inside of the wrist for 10 seconds, and multiplies this number by 6. This is the per-minute total.
Radial pulse
illustration
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Warming up and cooling down - illustration
Warming up before exercise and cooling down after are just as important as the exercise itself. By properly warming up the muscles and joints with low-level aerobic movement for 5 to 10 minutes, one may avoid injury and build endurance over time. Cooling down after exercise by walking slowly, then stretching muscles, may also prevent strains and blood pressure fluctuation.
Warming up and cooling down
illustration
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Effects of age on blood pressure - illustration
Blood vessels become less elastic with age. The average blood pressure increases from 120/70 to 150/90 and may persist slightly high, even if treated. The blood vessels respond more slowly to a change in body position.
Effects of age on blood pressure
illustration
-
Aerobic exercise - illustration
Aerobic exercise gets the heart working to pump blood through the heart more quickly and with more force than normal. As blood is pumped faster, it must be oxygenated more quickly, which quickens respiration. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and boosts healthy cholesterol levels. Low impact aerobics include walking and swimming. Running, tennis and dance are high impact aerobics.
Aerobic exercise
illustration
-
Taking your carotid pulse - illustration
The carotid arteries take oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain. The pulse from the carotids may be felt on either side of the front of the neck just below the angle of the jaw. This rhythmic "beat" is caused by varying volumes of blood being pushed out of the heart toward the extremities.
Taking your carotid pulse
illustration
-
Radial pulse - illustration
Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the tissues of the body. Veins carry blood depleted of oxygen from the same tissues back to the heart. The arteries are the vessels with the "pulse," a rhythmic pushing of the blood in the heart followed by a refilling of the heart chamber. To determine heart rate, one counts the beats at a pulse point like the inside of the wrist for 10 seconds, and multiplies this number by 6. This is the per-minute total.
Radial pulse
illustration
-
Warming up and cooling down - illustration
Warming up before exercise and cooling down after are just as important as the exercise itself. By properly warming up the muscles and joints with low-level aerobic movement for 5 to 10 minutes, one may avoid injury and build endurance over time. Cooling down after exercise by walking slowly, then stretching muscles, may also prevent strains and blood pressure fluctuation.
Warming up and cooling down
illustration
-
Effects of age on blood pressure - illustration
Blood vessels become less elastic with age. The average blood pressure increases from 120/70 to 150/90 and may persist slightly high, even if treated. The blood vessels respond more slowly to a change in body position.
Effects of age on blood pressure
illustration
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Brain cancer
(Alt. Medicine)
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Menopause
(Alt. Medicine)
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(In-Depth)
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Asthma
(Alt. Medicine)
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Hypothyroidism
(In-Depth)
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Heart failure
(In-Depth)
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Back pain and sciatica
(In-Depth)
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Alcohol use disorders
(In-Depth)
Review Date: 8/22/2016
Reviewed By: Laura J. Martin, MD, MPH, ABIM Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Atlanta, GA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
