title: Cardiovascular ageing and heart failure.
abstract: Increase in arterial stiffness with age causes elevation of systolic blood pressure, which is the most common antecedent of heart failure in older people. Heart failure results from systolic and diastolic dysfunction; in either case, reducing mechanical load is the basis for preventing and treating heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW. pmacdonald@stvincents.com.au
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology