Ducharme Nicole, Radhamma Rani
Division of Endocrinology, Saint Louis University Medical Center, 1402 South Grand Boulevard, Donco Building, 2nd Floor, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA.
Clin Geriatr Med. 2008 Aug;24(3):471-87, vi. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2008.03.007.
People are now living longer, largely because of a combination of falling rates of fertility and mortality, thus producing a greater proportion of older people in society. Thirty times more centenarians were alive in 2000 than in 1900, and the population growth in the elderly segment of society is expected to continue at an exponential rate. Vascular disease is responsible for more than a quarter of all deaths worldwide. More than 80% of individuals who die of coronary heart disease are older than 65 years. Although a myocardial infarction may be perceived as fatal, heart attacks do not always lead to death but to conditions such as congestive heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and angina, which greatly impact quality of life. These issues are only a few that must be contemplated when considering the clinical and economic effects of preventive therapies in the elderly population.
如今人们的寿命更长了，这主要是生育率和死亡率下降共同作用的结果，从而使社会中老年人的比例更大。2000年的百岁老人数量是1900年的30倍，预计社会老年群体的人口增长将继续呈指数级速度。血管疾病导致全球超过四分之一的死亡。死于冠心病的个体中，超过80%年龄在65岁以上。虽然心肌梗死可能被视为致命，但心脏病发作并不总是导致死亡，而是导致诸如充血性心力衰竭、缺血性心肌病和心绞痛等病症，这些病症会极大地影响生活质量。在考虑老年人群预防性治疗的临床和经济影响时，这些问题只是其中必须要考虑的一部分。
