Cardiovascular risk factors management in older adults: a clinical consensus statement from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology of the ESC and the ESC Council for Cardiology Practice
Roberto F.E. Pedretti, Riccardo Asteggiano, Andreas B. Gevaert, T. Scott Bowen, Stefano Caselli, Véronique Cornelissen, Ruxandra Christodorescu, Giuseppe Derosa, François Diévart, Donata Kurpas, Elena Osto, Dimitrios Richter, Anne Grete Semb, Patrizia Steca, Luigina Guasti, Marc Ferrini
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) currently ranks first in global mortality and morbidity and its prevalence increases with age. The most common risk factors for CVD are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemias, adipositas, smoking, and physical inactivity, Also, depression, anaemia and frailty can be considered important risk factors for CVD. Incidence and prevalence of risk factors and comorbidities increase with age. Nevertheless, risk factor management in older adults and how intensively they should be treated are challenging for cardiovascular specialists and other clinicians, and an intensive and individual approach is needed, given the limited evidence available to date. Therefore, in this clinical consensus document from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology of ESC and ESC Council for Cardiology Practice, a modern reappraisal of the evidence on the field is provided, together with simple, practical, and feasible suggestions to achieve the best goal in the clinical setting, focusing on evidence-based concepts.