Updated diagnosis and management of congestive heart failure.

It is not uncommon to see elderly patients with a few nonspecific complaints who, on examination and workup, have findings of advanced congestive heart failure. Because of the potential for misdiagnosis and misclassification of the underlying pathophysiology, most patients should undergo a noninvasive measurement of left-ventricular function, such as echocardiography or radionuclide angiography.