Heart failure in the oldest patients: the impact of comorbid conditions

Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in older adults; it is also an important cause of death and chronic disability. HF in the elderly differs in many respects from HF occurring during middle age; in particular, the diagnosis and treatment of HF in the elderly are often complicated by the presence of multiple cardiac and noncardiac comorbid conditions, many of which have important implications for the care of the older HF patient. This article reviews the effects of common noncardiac comorbidities on the management of HF in older adults and discusses the impact of noncardiac comorbid conditions on clinical outcomes in the geriatric HF patient.