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Identification of Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Elderly

Michael McGarry1, Christina L Shenvi2

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Northwest Medical Center, 2801 FL-7, Margate, FL 33063, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/mike_mcgarry_.

Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America
|April 17, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Older adults often have atypical symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. This underrecognition increases their risk for ACS complications.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) frequently presents with atypical symptoms in older adults.
  • This atypical presentation can lead to delays in diagnosis and management.
  • Older adults are at higher risk for ACS and its complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the presentation of ACS in older adults.
  • To describe the outcomes associated with underrecognized ACS in this population.
  • To identify potential solutions for improving ACS recognition in older patients.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on ACS presentation in older adults.
  • Analysis of outcomes data for elderly patients with ACS.
  • Synthesis of strategies to address diagnostic delays.

Main Results:

  • Older adults commonly exhibit non-classic ACS symptoms, differing from younger populations.
  • Delayed diagnosis in this group correlates with poorer outcomes.
  • Underrecognition contributes to increased morbidity and mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Atypical ACS presentation in older adults necessitates heightened clinical awareness.
  • Implementing targeted diagnostic and management strategies is crucial.
  • Improving recognition can mitigate adverse outcomes in geriatric ACS patients.

Keywords:
Acute coronary syndromeAtypical symptomsChest painElderlyGeriatric

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