Cardiovascular disease is both the most frequent diagnosis and the leading cause of death among both men and women older than 65 years. Hypertension occurs in one-half to two-thirds of people older than 65 years, and heart failure (HF) is the most frequent hospital discharge diagnosis among elderly. Systolic but not diastolic blood pressure increases with aging, resulting in increased pulse pressure. Systolic hypertension becomes a stronger predictor of cardiovascular events, especially in women.
HF with preserved ejection fraction becomes more common at older ages and is more common in women. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is more likely to involve multiple vessels and to affect the left main artery and occurs with similar frequency in women and in men older than 65 years. Equal numbers of older men and women present with acute myocardial infarction (MI) until the age of 80 years, after…
