Cardiac findings in the very elderly: analysis of echocardiography in fifty-eight nonagenarians.

Although the effects of aging on the heart have been reviewed, these reviews are primarily based on autopsy findings. We report the echocardiographic and Doppler findings in 58 patients over the age of 90. Half of the patients had enlarged left atria, but the large majority had normal-sized ventricles and aortic roots. Left ventricular wall motion was normal or increased in 71% and 52% had left ventricular hypertrophy. Aortic stenosis (all grades) was present in 31%. Other valve lesions are reviewed. None of our patients had a completely normal echocardiogram, even when mild valvular regurgitation is considered normal.