The American journal of geriatric cardiology
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Am J Geriatr Cardiol · Nov 2007
ReviewEchocardiographic assessment of aortic stenosis in the elderly.
Aortic stenosis is one of the most common valvular conditions affecting the elderly population. This article reviews the echocardiographic assessment of aortic stenosis in the elderly including the advantages and limitations of different modalities and the potential role of 3-dimensional echocardiography in this special population.
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Am J Geriatr Cardiol · Jan 2007
Contemporary diagnosis and management of hypercholesterolemia in elderly acute myocardial infarction patients: a population-based study.
There are limited data regarding the diagnosis and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The authors describe the in-hospital and discharge prescription patterns of lipid-lowering agents in patients hospitalized with an AMI, and identify factors associated with low rates of utilization of these therapies. The authors analyzed the Minnesota Heart Survey, a population-based surveillance project that retrospectively abstracted the medical records of patients hospitalized with AMI in 2001-2002 from 21 hospitals in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area. ⋯ The utilization of statins was highly correlated with the administration of other standard AMI therapies-aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and reperfusion therapy-and was more prevalent among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention than among those undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Elderly patients remain less likely to receive lipid-lowering therapy following an AMI. Greater attention is required to ensure that elderly AMI patients without contraindications are appropriately treated with lipid-lowering therapy.