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Arrhythmia Management in the Elderly

  • Chapter
Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology ((CONCARD))

Abstract

Arrhythmias cause significant mortality and impair quality of life in the elderly. The prevalences of cardiac arrhythmias and disorders of impulse formation and conduction, increase with age (1,2). As the US population ages and as cardiovascular care for coronary disease and heart failure improves, the prevalence and burden of electrophysiological disorders will continue to rise. In fact, among Medicare beneficiaries, hospitalization rates for many common arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF), sinoatrial node (SAN) dysfunction, atrial flutter, and ventricular fibrillation (VF), continue to outpace elderly population growth (3). These disorders almost always require the involvement of cardiovascular specialists, and often present challenging management dilemmas. The purpose of this chapter is to review the current information concerning arrhythmia management in the elderly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

    Jonathan P. Piccini MD & Hugh Calkins MD

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  1. Jonathan P. Piccini MD
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  2. Hugh Calkins MD
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  1. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

    Gary Gerstenblith MD

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Piccini, J.P., Calkins, H. (2005). Arrhythmia Management in the Elderly. In: Gerstenblith, G. (eds) Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly. Contemporary Cardiology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-941-9:261

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-941-9:261

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