Areas where knowledge is weak and research is urgently needed are also indicated. The report has six main sections. The first, on demographic trends, summarizes key characteristics of the elderly population in various parts of the world, discusses the current and projected size of the elderly population, and describes changes in life expectancy over the past four years. A profile of cardiovascular diseases in the elderly is provided in the second section, which includes information on the global burden of cardiovascular diseases, trends in mortality rates and possible explanations, the most important cardiovascular diseases affecting the elderly, and eight principal risk factors. The third and most extensive section reviews health policy options for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in elderly people and discusses their relative cost-effectiveness.
Emphasis is placed on lifestyle approaches and on the medical management of risk factors.
The remaining sections discuss opportunities for rehabilitation and establish guidelines for the development of health policies aimed at the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the elderly. Noting that elevated blood pressure is a massive health problem in almost every country, the report argues that programmes for hypertension control should be an integral part of all national health care systems. With this goal in mind, the report aims to help policy makers appreciate the significance and complexities of hypertension, understand the options available for control, and then select the most appropriate mix of interventions. To assist physicians as well as policy makers, the report includes abundant recommendations, based on the best scientific evidence, for the management of different patient groups. A section on the clinical assessment of the hypertensive patient explains the components of a coherent, step-wise diagnostic process involving history taking, physical examination, and laboratory investigation.