Analysis of measures of functional and cognitive ability for aging adults with cardiac and vascular disease.

Baseline and follow-up assessments of functional and cognitive status are essential for aging patients who survive acute cardiac and vascular disease, as they are faced with new medications and implementing changes in lifestyle. Because declining functional and/or cognitive status will interfere with treatment regimens and taking prescribed medications, it is imperative that healthcare providers develop an understanding of approaches to functional and cognitive assessment that can be used with aging patients, selecting those most appropriate for the venue in which they practice and for their particular patient population.