The aging heart. State-of-the-art prevention and management of cardiac disease.

The normal aging heart undergoes pathophysiologic changes that over time undermine cardiac structure and function. In older persons, declining cardiac function can be accelerated or exacerbated by chronic diseases such as hypertension or heart failure. The convergence of normal alterations and distinct cardiovascular conditions--disorders of rhythm, disorders of the organ itself, and vascular disease--compound the challenge of clinical management. This task is becoming somewhat less complex as new information emerges from clinical studies seeking more effective approaches to preventing and managing myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction.