Heart failure is effectively a disease of older people. Eighty
percent of patients are over 65 years old, and the majority of
these are over 75. This figure is likely to increase significantly
in the next two decades. The prognosis is worse than that of most
cancers and heart failure is the commonest reason for hospital
admission in the over 65s.
The problems associated with treating heart failure in older
patients are more diverse and complex than in those who are
younger. The diagnosis in older patients is easily overlooked and
as they were excluded from most heart failure treatment trials
there has been a reluctance to treat them optimally (fewer than 20%
are prescribed conventional medicines). They have multiple
co-morbidities which are poorly managed, they are repeatedly
hospitalised, and suffer social isolation.
These important age-related treatment and management problems
have been largely ignored and this book aims to redress the
balance. It provides a concise, comprehensive account of the
epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, management and
end-of-life care of elderly patients with heart failure, based on
published studies.
A Practical Guide to Heart Failure in Older People is essential
reading for geriatricians, cardiologists, general hospital
physicians, family practitioners and specialist nurses.
* Specifically addresses the particular needs of the
elderly, a largely ignored group who constitute the majority of
patients with heart failure
* Presents a concise yet comprehensive account of the
evidence relating to the diagnosis, treatment and management of
heart failure in this population
* Improves awareness of the various roles within the
management team
Om författaren
Chris Ward and Miles Witham are the authors of A Practical Guide to Heart Failure in Older People, published by Wiley.
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