[Evaluation of heart rate changes in the aged. An ambulatory electrocardiography study. Arrhythmias in the aged].
The Holter examinations of 111 subjects aged more than 65 who then underwent dynamic ecg were investigated in order to assess the clinical significance of cardiac arrhythmias in geriatric age. Group A was formed of 53 patients with no clinical signs of cardiovascular diseases. Thirty-two patients with clinical evidence of ischaemic cardiopathy made up Group B and 26 with arterial hypertension formed Group C. The Holter examinations were evaluated in accordance with current guidelines, considering the basic rhythm, heart rate, pulse formation and conduction disturbances and supraventricular and ventricular hyperkinetic arrhythmias. Sinus base rhythm was present in most cases whereas atrial fibrillation was noted in a similar percentage in the three groups, whether or not cardiovascular disease was present. Supraventricular and ventricular hyperkinetic arrhythmias were extremely common in the elderly and made no discrimination between patients with ischaemic cardiopathy or hypertension and the clinically healthy; for example, ventricular tachycardia was observed in 10.6% of Group A subjects, in 7.1% of Group B and 8.6% of Group C. To conclude, the clinical significance of heart rhythm changes in the elderly remains obscure because in most subjects they are not related to the presence of cardiovascular disease.