title: The second heart sound in old age.
abstract: The second heart sound was studied by phonocardiography and carotid tracings in 103 elderly subjects without overt evidence of heart disease. Their ages ranged from 60 to 99 years. A normal type of splitting was found in 55.3%, and a single sound in 41.7%. The difference between these percentages and those found in 60 normal younger persons was not significant. Thus, a single second sound should not be considered a typical finding in old age. However, a reverse type of splitting, noted in only 3 patients, should be regarded as evidence of severe latent heart disease.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve; D006326:Heart Auscultation; D006347:Heart Sounds; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010701:Phonocardiography