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A Surgical Model of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Tibetan Minipigs
Published on: February 18, 2022
[Approach to heart failure in the elderly]
1Department of Cardiology, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey. dilekyb@uludag.edu.tr.
Insights
Heart failure is more common in older adults due to age-related cardiac changes. Diagnosing and treating heart failure in the elderly requires careful consideration of unique physiological factors and medication responses.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Cardiac aging is associated with structural and functional changes.
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is prevalent in the elderly due to age-related diastolic dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the challenges in diagnosing heart failure in elderly patients.
- To emphasize the need for individualized treatment strategies for heart failure in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Review of age-associated physiological changes affecting cardiac function.
- Analysis of diagnostic difficulties in elderly heart failure patients.
- Consideration of factors influencing medication management in older adults.
Main Results:
- Elderly patients often present with atypical symptoms, complicating diagnosis.
- Age-related changes impact treatment efficacy and safety.
- Comorbidities, polypharmacy, and compliance are critical factors in management.
Conclusions:
- Diagnosing heart failure in the elderly is challenging due to atypical presentations.
- Treatment selection for elderly heart failure patients must account for physiological changes, comorbidities, and drug interactions.
Abstract:
The prevalence of heart failure increases with age. Several specific changes in cardiac structure and function are associated with cardiac ageing. Because of age-associated changes leading to diastolic dysfunction, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is the most common form of heart failure in the elderly. The diagnosis of heart failure may be difficult to diagnose in elderly patients because of a lack of typical symptoms and physical findings. The elderly patients may respond differently to heart failure medications. Age-associated changes in physiology, comorbidities, drug interaction, medication side-effects, and compliance should be considered when choosing a drug to manage heart failure in the elderly.
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