[Treatment of arrhythmias in the elderly]

The disorders of cardiac rhythm in the elderly are frequent and important since they are generally less tolerated than in young patients. Sinus bradycardia is one of the most common disorder of cardiac rhythm; symptomatic sinus bradycardia will be treated by pacemaker insertion in most cases. Atrial fibrillation is frequent in the elderly and often poorly tolerated; the aim of therapy is to restore sinus rhythm and prevent recurrences. In order to avoid strokes (emboli), old patients, with chronic atrial fibrillation should be submitted to low-level anticoagulation. Elderly patients may also suffer from supraventricular and ventricular premature beats which should be treated if they present some degree of malignancy.