A Call for Collaboration: Improving Cardiogeriatric Care.

With the population aging, there is an exponential increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Congestive heart failure (CHF) is considered the "poster child" of the blend of CVD, multimorbidity, and frailty in the aging population. Traditionally, from the cardiologist's point of view, the top multimorbidities in CHF are hypertension, ischemic heart disease, hyperlipidemia, anemia, and diabetes. However, the care of these patients is confounded by common geriatric conditions (multimorbidity, dementia, medication intolerance, frailty) contributing to functional disability, reduced quality of life, and increased hospitalization. Given a 3-fold increase in the number of patients with CHF within the next couple of decades, we must act now. We need to address complex care coordination and integrated disease management as part of the continuum of care, including advance directives and patient preferences. Research and educational curricula must address clinical practice guidelines appropriate for the frail elderly with multimorbidities. Improved care of the older patient with cardiac disease is dependent on a new model of collaboration and teamwork between primary care physician, geriatrician, and cardiologist to accommodate the fundamental heterogeneity of aging and the patients' choices. Collaborative cardiogeriatric clinics have started. The goal of these clinics is to provide integrated care and education for older patients and their caregivers, with the objective of improving quality of life and function. These clinics are also designed to build educational capacity for medical trainees and provide an ongoing research environment. This prototype of a sustainable model will be used to assess methods by which cardiogeriatric clinics could be introduced into standard clinical medical practice.

Safety and predictors of adherence of a new rehabilitation program for older women with congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety of a cardiac rehabilitation program for older women with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and determine if certain factors influence adherence. METHODS: Women over the age of 65 with CHF attended an exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist. Quality of life was measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) and severity of disease by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class. Subjects were classified into those who attended 90% or more of the sessions and those who attended less than 90% of the sessions. RESULTS: Fifty-one subjects were studied. Eight subjects did not attend any sessions. Of the 43 attendees, the average percentage of sessions attended was 87%. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, MLHFQ or NYHA Class. There was only one adverse event out of 280 participant attendances. CONCLUSIONS: The program had a high level of adherence in this population. Age, MLHFQ or NYHA Class did not impact on session attendance. Our data suggests this program is safe for this population. Further research is needed to determine other predictors of attendance and the examination of safety issues and long-term adherence to exercise in this population.

Gender differences in dementia risk factors.

BACKGROUND: With the aging of the population, dementia has become an important health concern in most countries. There is a growing body of literature on the importance of cardiovascular risk factors in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia, and mixed dementia (AD with cerebrovascular disease). OBJECTIVE: This article reviews the role of major risk factors in dementia between both sexes. METHODS: The MEDLINE, PubMed, and HealthSTAR databases were searched between 1966 and January 2007 for English-language articles on the risk factors for dementia. RESULTS: The distribution and prevalence of major risk factors between the sexes and age groups are varied. Female sex has been associated with increased risk of the development of AD. In women aged >75 years, rates of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes are higher than in similarly aged men. Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 genotype status appears to have a greater deleterious effect on gross hippocampal pathology and memory performance in women compared with men. Midlife hypertension and hypercholesterolemia in both sexes predict a higher risk of developing AD in later life. Diabetes is increasing in frequency to a greater extent in women than in men, and is associated with a substantial risk for cognitive impairment. Dementia in women (probably) and in men (possibly) is influenced by obesity in the middle of life. CONCLUSIONS: It remains critical that large prospective clinical trials be designed to assess the effect of optimum management of vascular risk factors on cognitive functioning and dementia as the primary outcome, and include women and men in numbers adequate for assessment of gender effects.