Related Experiment Videos
Cardiovascular disease in elderly patients
A K Duncan1, J Vittone, K C Fleming
1Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Insights
Aging alters the human cardiovascular system, affecting heart disease presentation and outcomes in older adults. Diagnosis and treatment require careful consideration of age-related physiological changes and comorbidities.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Geriatrics
- Physiology
Background:
- Normal aging involves predictable cardiovascular system alterations.
- Geriatric cardiovascular health presents unique challenges compared to younger populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To overview cardiovascular consequences of human aging.
- To review diagnosis and management of heart disease in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of relevant published articles.
- Summarized diagnostic approaches and treatment recommendations for common cardiac conditions in the elderly.
Main Results:
- Aging causes anatomic and physiologic cardiovascular changes.
- Heart disease manifestations, outcomes, and therapeutic options differ in the elderly due to factors like altered drug metabolism.
Conclusions:
- Age-related cardiovascular changes stem from intrinsic aging, primary cardiac disease, and comorbidities.
- Heart disease prognosis is generally worse with age; treatment requires careful consideration of individual patient factors for optimal survival and quality of life.
Objective:
To provide an overview of the cardiovascular consequences of the normal aging process in humans and to review unique aspects of the diagnosis and management of heart disease in the elderly population.
Design:
We reviewed relevant published articles and summarized the diagnostic approaches and treatment recommendations for congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiac valvular disease, and arrhythmias in elderly patients.
Results:
The aging process is associated with predictable anatomic and physiologic alterations in the cardiovascular system. consequently, the manifestations of heart disease in the geriatric population differ from those found in younger patients. Additionally, outcomes of cardiac diseases and therapeutic options change with advancing age because of such factors as alterations in drug metabolism.
Conclusion:
Age-related changes in the cardiovascular system result from intrinsic cardiac aspects of human senescence, primary cardiac disease, and influence of comorbid conditions on the heart. The natural history of heart disease is generally adversely affected by age. Although many treatment strategies with demonstrated efficacy in younger patients are relevant in the elderly age-group, careful attention to the influence of concomitant illness, the unique physiologic and pharmacologic changes, and the assessment of the potential effect of therapy on survival and quality of life is essential in treating elderly patients.