Insuficiência cardíaca no idoso: uma revisão integrativa acerca da prevalência no seu perfil fisiopatológico.

Abstract

Heart failure is a heart disease with greater prevalence in individuals over 65 years, showing a large impact in mortality in this group, being a complex syndrome with a rich symptomatology. This study aims to integrate the latest knowledge within the theme "Heart failure in the elderly", especially in relation to the epidemiologic analysis, based on an investigation of scientific production.The chosen method is the integrative literature review, using the keywords: insuficiência cardíaca, idoso, chronic heart failure, elderly; the consulted databases were PubMed, LILACS and SciELo in the period from 01/02 2016 to 01/24 2016. The results were obtained through the selection of 05 articles, through close reading, critical and reflective thinking, followed by the creation of tables summarizing the data obtained. The evidence was gathered, reflecting an epidemiologic tendency of this pathology, from results of recent years’ studies. The methodological designs of the works analyzed have strong relevance for evidence-based practice. We conclude that the exponential raise in the prevalence of this pathology in the elderly, with special impulse in the odds of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, mainly in female patients and related with hypertensive etiology. Therefore, scientists need to carry out researches addressing heart failure, especially in the elderly, so we could have better information about the peculiarities of this pathology in the specific population.