EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASES IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION IN SPAIN

This paper is a comprehensive and critical review of the updated infor mation available in Spain for the elderly population on the epidemiolo gy of cardiovascular diseases. Clinical (coronary heart disease, heart faillure, and cerebrovascular disease) and subclinical (left ventricu lar hypertrophy, carotid esthenosis) cardiovascular diseases are revie wed. Prevalence and distribution of major classical cardiovascular ris k factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking and information on new risk factors such as microalbuminuria o r abdominal obesity are also presented. The article is also focused on the high rates of morbidity, mortality and the burden of handicap in this age group in comparison with middle-aged people. Finally we call attention to the few and inconsistent population data available for so me of the mentioned topics in our country, particularly the lack of sp ecific figures of incidence and risk rates from cohort studies of elde rly people in Spain.