Cardiovascular Imaging and Noninvasive Diagnosis for Older Adults

Sherryn Rambihar, MD, Internal Medicine Resident, Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, ON.
Beth Abramson, MD, MSc, FRCP(C), FACC, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto; Director, Cardiac Prevention Centre and Women’s Cardiovascular Health, Department of Cardiology, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death among men and women at all ages, and older adults are at increased risk. In assessing an older adult at risk for CHD, Bayes’ theorem guides rational clinical decision-making. Physicians should consider a diagnosis of CHD for older adults, who have a high prevalence of disease but may present with atypical symptoms and multiple risk factors. In clinical presentation, older women may be more similar than dissimilar to men. Exercise treadmill testing is the recommended first-line noninvasive strategy in most symptomatic older adults. Risk factor optimization is imperative in all patients.
Key words: imaging, diagnostic, women, geriatrics, clinical practice patterns, delivery of health care.