The second heart sound in old age.

The second heart sound was studied by phonocardiography and carotid tracings in 103 elderly subjects without overt evidence of heart disease. Their ages ranged from 60 to 99 years. A normal type of splitting was found in 55.3%, and a single sound in 41.7%. The difference between these percentages and those found in 60 normal younger persons was not significant. Thus, a single second sound should not be considered a typical finding in old age. However, a reverse type of splitting, noted in only 3 patients, should be regarded as evidence of severe latent heart disease.