Heart failure in the elderly: ten peculiar management considerations.
Chronic heart failure (HF) is a disease with significantly higher prevalence in the elderly or patients older than 65 years old. Typically, older patients have more risk factors for HF, more comorbidities, and are more likely to have recurrent admissions for acute decompensations. With HF burden on health care systems primarily related to hospital and nursing home costs, it is critical that elderly patients are approached with a clear understanding of certain unique clinical, laboratory, imaging, and pharmacokinetic differences that can alter their management and outcomes. Psychosocial factors have major implications on adherence to therapy as well as decisions on advanced care for elderly HF patients. In this article, we highlight ten peculiar management considerations when approaching older patients with HF. We discuss issues related to epidemiology, diagnostic challenges, pharmacotherapy, and palliative care; all of which can impact this unique population and, more importantly, the disease burden as a whole.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Heart and Vascular Institute, Al Maryah Island, PO Box 112412, Abu Dhabi, UAE. baderf@clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae.
Feras
F
Bader
Department of Pharmacy Services, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Al Maryah Island, PO Box 112412, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Bassam
B
Atallah
Levine College of Health Sciences, Wingate University School of Pharmacy, 515 N. Main Street, Wingate, NC, 28174, USA.
Lisa F
LF
Brennan
, 34522 N. Scottsdale road, Suite 120, PMB 489, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85266, USA.
Rola H
RH
Rimawi
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Heart and Vascular Institute, Al Maryah Island, PO Box 112412, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Mohammed E
ME
Khalil
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D019468:Disease Management; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D014943:Global Health; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D019338:Polypharmacy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
Comorbidities; Geriatric heart failure; Polypharmacy