Myocardial Fibrosis, Function and Aging

Myocardial Fibrosis and Changes of Myocardial Function Related to Aging

In normal ageing, the impact of myocardial fibrosis on myocardial function is unclear as diastolic function is reported to change according to age. The objective is to explore the relationship between myocardial function changes, with local (T1 and diffusion) fibrosis measures with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as well as global measures of fibrosis (skin auto-fluorescence and collagen blood-biomarkers).

Inclusion Criteria:

• physical activity ≤ 3 x(30') per week
• no history of smoking, diabetes, myocardial infarction, heart failure, hypertension (<140 or <90 mmHg) and no anti-hypertensive or cardiovascular-related medications
• no familial history of early myocardial ischemia
• body mass index (BMI) <30kg/m2
• normal routine lipid blood analysis
• glycemia <1.26g/l
• normal electrocardiogram (ECG)

Exclusion Criteria:

• arrhythmia
• hepatic insufficiency
• pregnancy
• claustrophobia
• MRI contrast allergy,
• general contraindications to MRI such as pacemaker, etc.