Managing Myocardial Infarction in the Elderly: What Should the Clinician Do?
As the American population progressively ages, the number of elderly who suffer an acute myocardial infarction (MI) is increasing. These days, it is not uncommon for me to be caring for a number of patients 80 years old or more in our coronary care unit. The evident and potential frailty of these individuals can make their care complex. Recent publications have focused on the presentation and results of therapy in these elderly patients, as well as pathophysiologic differences between older and younger patients with acute MI.
Not surprisingly, elderly patients with acute MI have a worse prognosis as compared with younger individuals.
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— Joseph S. Alpert, MD
Editor-in-Chief, The American Journal of Medicine
This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
