Impact of age on cardiovascular risk: implications for cardiovascular disease management

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a major global healthcare problem. The prevalence of this condition increases with age. As many Countries around the world are experiencing an increase in the proportion of elderly people in the population, this raises serious issues for cardiac and cerebrovascular disease prevention and management. A wealth of data has established smoking, dyslipidemia, hypertension and type 2 diabetes as major risk factors for cardiac and cerebrovascular events. This article reviews the evidence that links these metabolic risk factors with an increased risk of complications, and assesses the data concerning how risk changes with age. This review also focuses on how these conditions can be optimally managed and whether treatment outcomes are affected by age. The current status of research is assessed and issues which remain to be resolved are highlighted. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.