Heart failure is the most common cause of cardiovascular hospitalization in
older adults in the United States. This disease is common, disabling, and
commonly fatal, especially in the elderly population. Hypertension and coro
nary artery disease are the leading causes of heart failure. A precise diag
nosis of the cardiac abnormality is paramount for adequate treatment, and e
chocardiography offers the most comprehensive, noninvasive evaluation. With
. an organized approach using two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography,
the systolic and diastolic left ventricular performance can be determined;
the cardiac output, pulmonary artery, and ventricular filling pressures ca
n be estimated; and surgically correctable valve disease can be identified.
The response and success of treatment also may be monitored by the judicio
us use of echocardiography.