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Cardiomyopathy in Older Adults
Deirdre E O'Neill1, Daniel E Forman2,3
1Department of Medicine and Mazankowski Heart Institute, Division of Cardiology, University of Alberta Hospital, 2C2 - 8440 112 Street NW T6G 2B7, Edmonton, AB, Canada. doneill@ualberta.ca.
Insights
Cardiomyopathy, common in older adults, includes hypertrophic, restrictive, and dilated types. Lifestyle changes and new gerotherapeutics may prevent and treat these heart muscle disorders, improving lifespan and healthspan.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cardiomyopathy involves heart muscle dysfunction, with aging increasing susceptibility.
- Older adults face higher risks due to molecular damage, chronic diseases, and geriatric syndromes like frailty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review prevalent cardiomyopathies in older adults.
- To provide age-related perspectives on cardiomyopathy pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and prevention.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on aging and cardiomyopathy.
- Analysis of age-related changes, inflammation, and oxidative stress impacts.
Main Results:
- Hypertrophic, restrictive, and dilated cardiomyopathies are prevalent in aging populations.
- Aging-related conditions like coronary artery disease, hypertension, and valve disease contribute to myocardial abnormalities.
- Inflammation and oxidative stress are key factors in age-related cardiomyopathy development.
Conclusions:
- Awareness of prevalent cardiomyopathies in older adults is crucial for optimizing care.
- Lifestyle modifications are key for prevention, with gerotherapeutics showing promise.
- Interventions can potentially improve lifespan and healthspan in older adults.
Purpose Of Review:
Cardiomyopathy is a disorder of the myocardium, in which structural and functional abnormalities of the heart muscle result in mechanical and/or electrical cardiac dysfunction. Aging increases susceptibility to molecular damage and related risks of cardiomyopathy, often in combination with other chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes (e.g., frailty, sarcopenia). With the rapidly growing population of older adults, awareness of the most prevalent cardiomyopathies in this population provides important insight to optimize prevention and treatment.
Recent Findings:
Hypertrophic, restrictive and dilated cardiomyopathies are highly prevalent in older adults. Furthermore, coronary artery disease, hypertension and valve disease increase with aging, and often lead to myocardial abnormalities that have many similar features to cardiomyopathy that are important to clarify. This review provides important age-related perspectives regarding pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and prevention. Aging is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress that can lead to molecular damage and vulnerability to many chronic diseases, including various cardiomyopathies. However, development is not inevitable. Prevention via lifestyle modification is paramount, with novel gerotherapeutic options targeting biologic hallmarks of aging under investigation. This increases the potential to improve the lifespan and healthspan of older adults.
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Cardiomyopathy VI: Nursing Management

