Atrial fibrillation in heart failure in the older population

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important and often-underrecognized cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is an arrhythmia that is commonly seen in the older patient; the median age of patients with AF in early studies was 75 years. Heart failure (HF) is also more frequently seen in the older patient with an approximate doubling of HF prevalence with each decade of life. There is clear interaction between AF and HF, with evidence that HF can lead to AF and AF exacerbates HF. This review focuses on the specific aspect of AF management in elderly patients with HF.

Keywords: Ablation; Anticoagulation; Atrial fibrillation; Elderly; Heart failure.