title: [The epidemiology of heart failure in the elderly].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find the prevalence and aetiology of chronic cardiac failure (CCF) among elderly people in a health area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, crossover study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Delicias Sur Health Centre, Zaragoza.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative sample of the population over 65 registered at the Health Centre. Systematic random sampling: n = 1,635.
  
  
  RESULTS
  104 cases of cardiac failure were identified, which corresponded to a 6.3% (+/- 0.01) prevalence. By age groups, prevalence was 4.5% (+/- 0.01) for the 65-74 group and 8.5% (+/- 0.02) for those over 75. Regarding aetiology, 50.9% was due to arterial hypertension, 21.2% coronary failure, 22.1% valvulopathies and 17.3% reason unknown.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CCF prevalence in the community increases with age and in our ambit exceeds that found in other countries. Almost half the cases are related to arterial hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Salud Delicias Sur, Zaragoza.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gallego Catalán
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García Domínguez
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Anaya Casbas
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Alvarez Pardo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aznar Giménez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Córdoba García
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
vernacular_title: Epidemiología de la insuficiencia cardíaca en el anciano.