Cardiogeriatrics - what it is and why you should know about it
Apr 9, 2024
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Dr Akshay Gaur and Dr David Warriner discuss caring for elderly patients with heart conditions, emphasizing the role of a cardio geriatrician. They explore challenges such as managing heart failure in the elderly, treatment options, and complexities of acute coronary syndromes in older adults. Specialized care for complex heart conditions like aortic stenosis and mitral valve disease is highlighted.
The rising aging population necessitates a shift towards cardiogeriatrics for holistic elder care.
Assessing frailty in older patients requires tools like the Clinical Frailty Score for comprehensive evaluations.
Deep dives
The Growing Importance of Cardiogeriatrics
The podcast discusses the significance of cardiogeriatrics due to the rising aging population and its impact on healthcare demand. With life expectancy increasing, up to 70% of the UK's population is expected to be over 60 by 2039. This demographic shift poses challenges like the high cost of elder healthcare, with 5.8 billion pounds spent annually on inpatient missions. Managing older patients is complex due to comorbidities, polypharmacy, and the need for holistic care.
Defining Old Age and Assessing Frailty in Patients
The podcast addresses defining old age, suggesting a shift from age 65 to 75 as a more relevant marker for healthcare interventions. Assessing frailty involves evaluating physiological age, cognition, and comorbidities, not just chronological age. Discussing frailty using tools like the Clinical Frailty Score (CFS) helps in comprehensive patient assessment, especially crucial in geriatric consultations that require detailed time investments.
Management of Cardiovascular Conditions in Older Adults
The podcast delves into managing cardiovascular conditions like heart failure, atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndromes, and valve diseases in older adults. Treatments for heart failure focus on medications like ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and newer agents like SGLT2 receptors. The assessment of atrial fibrillation involves balancing risks of anticoagulation versus bleeding, emphasizing the importance of individualized care. The management of acute coronary syndromes in older adults involves nuanced considerations like atypical presentations, risk scores, and multidisciplinary team approaches.
In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Dr Akshay Gaur and Dr David Warriner from Doncaster, Sheffield and Leeds hospitals, UK. They discuss the concept of caring for elderly patients with heart conditions and the helpful role of a cardio geriatrician. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a podcast review at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/heart-podcast/id445358212?mt=2 or wherever you get your podcasts - it's really helpful.