Heart failure in older adults

Abstract

Typical aging leads to insidious changes in the heart and throughout the body that predispose to heart failure (HF). HF with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and HF with preserved ejection fraction increase as a result of common age-related physiologic changes. Moreover, aging is associated with high comorbidity and high likelihood of iatrogenic side effects from therapeutic interventions that add to the complexity of HF management and contribute to patterns of particularly high HF mortality and morbidity. This article reviews key age-related mechanisms of HF pathophysiology and associated management challenges.