Peter Dědič
The aging heart is characterized by structural changes, which are implicated in the development of many morphological and functional cardiac pathological, morphological and functional changes. Changes in the heart associated with aging may also be construed as risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, leading to heart disorders in older age. Echocardiography plays a major role in the diagnosis and evaluation of cardiovascular diseases in the older population. Standard transthoracic echocardiography is an extremely attractive non-invasive diagnostic test in the elderly population, as it is logistically simple, can be performed in immobile patients, it considered very low risk, and can be performed serially to monitor therapy and progression of disease. The prognostic implications of the most frequent echocardiographic findings in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a geriatric population are reviewed.