New data suggests heart failure in the elderly is likely to triple by the middle of the century

Heart failure is a common event that rises with age, and is linked to a number of conditions like atherosclerosis and hypertension. While failure in itself is a traumatic experience and frequently leads to fatalities, it also leaves scar tissue and impacts on future cardiovascular health too; further compounding recovery.

The latest data from the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES) Reykjavík study was presented at the ESC (European Society of Cardiology) Congress, and indicates a worrying rise in heart failure within the elderly proportion of society. The AGES study began in 2002 as a collaboration between the National Institute on Aging in the United States and the Icelandic Heart Association. Iceland is a great place for health research because of its small and relatively homogenous population. The study involved 5706 elderly participants with a mean age of 77 years, all of which were randomly selected for a good population spread.

"Heart failure is a common condition worldwide and increases with age. Various disorders can cause heart failure, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, obesity and diabetes. As these are more prevalent with age the consequence is an increased population of elderly who may develop heart failure"