Managing older patients with heart failure
McManus JA., Gajendragadkar PR., Taylor J.
Heart failure in the older patient is a growing epidemic; it has a high prevalence and accounts for a significant proportion of hospital admissions and expenditure. There are significant differences in older compared to younger patients with heart failure, mainly relating to complex co-morbidities and difficulty in making a firm diagnosis. Although there is a significant lack of clinical trials in this age group, most of the standard treatments for heart failure do show benefit in older patients but require closer supervision. Multidisciplinary heart failure programmes are ideally suited to managing older patients with complex, medical and psychosocial needs, aiming to optimise medical treatment and promote functional independence. © 2011 Rila Publications Ltd.