Advances in the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure in the elderly.
Acute decompensated heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization in older adults, and more than half of all patients admitted with this condition are over 75 years of age. In addition, hospital mortality is threefold higher in patients over 75 years of age compared with younger patients. This article reviews the pathophysiology, clinical features and management of acute heart failure in older adults, highlighting recent advances in the field. It is anticipated that over the next 5-10 years, new approaches to the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure will become available. Nonetheless, additional research is required to develop more effective strategies for the prevention and management of both acute and chronic heart failure in our rapidly growing elderly population.
Rich
Michael W
MW
Washington University, Cardiovascular Division, 660 S Euclid Avenue, Box 8086, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. mrich@wustl.edu