title: Cardiomyopathies in the elderly.
abstract: Cardiomyopathies in the elderly have certain characteristic features. The dilated form appears to be less common than in younger patients. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is more often associated with severe and concentric hypertrophy. The prognosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy seems to be better in the elderly, because they appear to have a lower incidence of sudden death. Restrictive cardiomyopathies are not common in the elderly, and senile amyloid heart disease rarely, if ever, results in congestive heart failure. A syndrome of clinical heart failure with reduced diastolic compliance and preserved systolic function is more common in elderly patients.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Abelmann
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gersh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans