title: [Atrial fibrillation in elderly patients].
abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in elderly patients: its prevalence increases with age up to 6-8% in octogenarians. A cardiomyopathy is associated in 50%, hypertension in 60%. Severity is attributed to the risk of ischaemic stroke with rates increasing up to 7% per year after 75 years old. Quality of life is impaired and associated with numerous comorbidities in the elderly. Antiarrhythmic therapy is useful to slow down cardiac rate in AF. To reduce first or recurrent emboli, antithrombotic therapy is necessary, whatever the type of AF (paroxysmal or permanent). Anticoagulation is the current treatment modality in AF patients at high or intermediate risk, which is the case of most of the elderly patients. Major hemorrhage risk must be systematically evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital cardiologique Haut-Lévêque, CHU de Bordeaux, Pessac, France. plmassoure@aol.com
authors.forename: Pierre-Laurent
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Massoure
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sacher
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Derval
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hocini
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jais
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haissaguerre
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000925:Anticoagulants