Physiopathology of the Aging Heart

Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults, despite improved survival and declining mortality. Prevalence in and impact of heart disease on elderly people, increasing risk factors, and the underlying physiologic changes of aging are briefly reviewed. High prevalence of clinical and subclinical heart disease provides a basis for considering opportunities for prevention and follow-up. This article focuses on recently developed noninvasive techniques, such as cardiac multislice CT and cardiac MR imaging.