[Clinical features of myocardial dysfunction in the elderly]

The research was aimed on the study the clinical characteristics and course of myocardial dysfunction in patients older than 65 years. From the population database of polyclinic No 95 of Kolpino District of St. Petersburg, 284 patients of 65 years and older were randomly selected (89 men and 195 women). To determine the structural and functional abnormalities of myocardial echocardiography was used. The severity of clinical signs of myocardial dysfunction (DM) was evaluated on a scale of assessment of clinical status for heart failure (HF). The prevalence of all forms of myocardial dysfunction in a population of people aged 65 years and over was 80.3%, including 73.2% of participants having clinical manifestations of heart failure. The clinical manifestations of heart failure were not associated with the type or severity of the structural and functional disorders of the myocardium. More than 26.8% of people aged 65 and older were asymptomatic, but the significant part of them developed symptoms and signs of heart failure in a short time. However, the correlation between the progression of myocardial dysfunction and clinical symptoms was not established. The conclusion was made about the feasibility of echocardiographic screening of people aged 65 and older in a comprehensive geriatric assessment.