Subject(s)
Coronary Vessels/pathology , Mediastinal Neoplasms/blood supply , Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal/blood supply , Adult , Coronary Angiography , Female , Humans , Mediastinal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Mediastinal Neoplasms/surgery , Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal/diagnostic imaging , Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal/surgery , ThoracotomyABSTRACT
Heart failure continues to be a significant problem faced by today's health care professional. Heart failure remains one of the principal causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of heart failure continues to increase, largely due to an aging population and to modern technologic innovations that have led to prolonged survival of the cardiac patient. Hypertension increases the risk for heart failure in all age groups. In those individuals aged 40 years or older whose blood pressure is > 140/90 mm Hg, the lifetime risk for developing heart failure may be twice as high as that of their aged-matched counterparts. Therefore, it is imperative that the clinician be aware of the current diagnostic and therapeutic advancements for the early detection and aggressive treatment of hypertension and heart failure, to prevent patients from developing symptoms of heart failure and to decrease the need for hospitalizations once the diagnosis is confirmed.
Subject(s)
Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Heart Failure/etiology , Heart Failure/prevention & control , Hypertension/diagnosis , Hypertension/drug therapy , Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/therapeutic use , Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers/therapeutic use , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Calcium Channel Blockers/therapeutic use , Diastole/drug effects , Heart Failure/physiopathology , Humans , Hypertension/complications , Hypertension/physiopathology , Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use , Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Stroke Volume/drug effects , Systole/drug effects , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/diagnosis , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/drug therapy , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Hyperlipidemia continues to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary heart disease, in the elderly population. Despite the fact that hyperlipidemia does not seem to be a major risk factor for stroke, therapy for hyperlipidemia, especially with statins, has clearly been demonstrated to reduce both coronary heart disease events and stroke, with the most convincing data being for the elderly population. Although we review some safety concerns with statin therapy applicable to the elderly, statins alone or with other proved therapies, including fibrates, niacin, and exercise training, have been demonstrated to reduce major cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease and stroke in the elderly. In addition, this therapy can be safely administered to most elderly patients and seems to have either neutral or slightly beneficial effects on dementia. Therefore, aggressive lipid treatment, particularly with statins, is needed in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the elderly.
