The prevalence of various arrhythmias in normotensive and hypertensive elderly patients.
The prevalence of the most frequent arrhythmias was studied in a geriatric day hospital. Patients older than 65 years have been considered, of them 118 were normotensive and 56 hypertensive subjects. Comparison of the two groups revealed no statistically significant difference either in the frequency of occurrence or in the type of arrhythmias. Dividing the hypertensive patients in the Lown's classes, only those of class 3 or over displayed a considerably higher frequency of arrhythmias than the normotensive subjects. The results demonstrate the age-dependent increase of the prevalence of arrhythmias in general, and the increased occurrence of complex ventricular types in the hypertensive subjects.
Di Mauro
Sebastiano
S
Day Hospital of Geriatrics, Cannizzaro Hospital, Geriatrics and Gerontology, Catania University, Via Messina, 829, I-95124 Catania, Italy. nellodimauro@hotmail.com
Leotta
C
C
Giuffrida
F
F
Giardina
M
M
Di Mauro
A
A
Scalia
G
G
Luca
S
S
Malaguarnera
M
M