title: [Current pharmacotherapy of heart insufficiency in old age].
abstract: Signs of cardiovascular diseases have been found in more than 50% of elderly people over 65 years in industrialized countries. Congestive heart failure is an especially disabling consequence in up to 49% of the age-class 75 to 80 years. Treatment of these patients follows the same guidelines as in younger patients with congestive heart failure; however, treatment results are poor in many instances, and undesirable side effects are frequent. For an adequate management of congestive heart failure in the elderly, one should consider specific age-related changes of the heart muscle cell, of the myocardial structure, of the vessel wall as well as functional changes of cardiovascular regulation, e.g. blunted reflexes and disturbed feed-back loops of hormonal regulation. Moreover, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of medicaments differ in elderly people, which should be considered for an age-adapted specific management of congestive heart failure in this patient-group.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bertel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nägeli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents
vernacular_title: Aktuelle Pharmakotherapie der Herzinsuffizienz im Alter.