Heart Failure in Elderly Patients: Distinctive Features and Unresolved Issues

Overview

Journal Eur J Heart Fail

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2013 Feb 23

PMID 23429975

Citations 72

Authors

Valentina Lazzarini

Robert J Mentz

Mona Fiuzat

Marco Metra

Christopher M OConnor

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) increases with age. While clinical trials suggest that contemporary evidence-based HF therapies have reduced morbidity and mortality, these trials largely excluded the elderly. Questions remain regarding the clinical characteristics of elderly HF patients and the impact of contemporary therapies on their outcomes. This review presents the epidemiology of HF in the elderly and summarizes the data on the pathophysiology of the ageing heart. The clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of elderly HF patients are explored. Finally, the main gaps regarding HF therapies in the elderly and the opportunities for future trials are highlighted.

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