Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Nov;28(4):539-53.
doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2012.07.003.

Epidemiology of arrhythmias and conduction disorders in older adults

Grant V Chow  1 , Joseph E Marine, Jerome L Fleg
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of arrhythmias and conduction disorders in older adults

Grant V Chow et al. Clin Geriatr Med. 2012 Nov.

Abstract

Normal aging is associated with a multitude of changes in the cardiovascular system, including decreased compliance of blood vessels, mild concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, an increased contribution of atrial contraction to left ventricular filling, and a higher incidence of many cardiac arrhythmias, both bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias. Conduction disorders also become more common with age, and may either be asymptomatic, or cause hemodynamic changes requiring treatment. The epidemiology of common arrhythmias and conduction disorders in the elderly is reviewed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

DISCLOSURES AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT: The authors have no disclosures or financial conflicts of interest relevant to this manuscript to report. All authors contributed to the writing, editing, and content of this manuscript. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the National Institutes of Health or the Department of Health and Human Services.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of LBBB in the Irish Heart Foundation study, according to age. The incidence and prevalence of LBBB increases with age, with highest levels seen in the elderly cohort. LBBB, left bundle branch block. Adapted from Fahy et al., 1996 [34]
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in four population-based surveys. The incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation increase with age, with highest rates seen in the elderly. Adapted from Feinberg et al., 1995 [39]
Figure 3
Figure 3
Prevalence of exercise-associated PSVT in the BLSA, stratified by age group. The prevalence of PSVT increased steadily in men, whereas a plateau was seen in women after the age of 60 years. PSVT, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia; BLSA, Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Adapted from Maurer et al., 1995 [56]
Figure 4
Figure 4
Incidence of sudden death in the Framingham study, grouped by age and sex. Incidence of sudden death progressively increased with increasing age, affecting men more frequently than women in each age group. Adapted from Kannel et al., 1998 [66]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Anversa P, Palackal T, Sonnenblick EH, et al. Myocyte cell loss and myocyte cellular hyperplasia in the hypertrophied aging rat heart. Circ Res. 1990;67(4):871–85. - PubMed
    1. Hiss RG, Lamb LE. Electrocardiographic findings in 122,043 individuals. Circulation. 1962;25:947–61. - PubMed
    1. Schwartz J, Gibb WJ, Tran T. Aging effects on heart rate variation. J Gerontol Med Sci. 1991;46(3):M99–106. - PubMed
    1. Byrne EA, Fleg JL, Vaitkevicius PV, et al. Role of aerobic capacity and body mass index in the age-associated decline in heart rate variability. J Appl Physiol. 1996;81(2):743–50. - PubMed
    1. Shub C. Stable angina pectoris: 2. Cardiac evaluation and diagnostic testing. Mayo Clin Proc. 1990;65(2):243–55. - PubMed