Illness is often devastating for the older athlete who is used to a general sense of physical fitness and well-being. The physician, as well, may be biased by the patient's active lifestyle and may be less vigilant for serious underlying disease. For example, a physician may underemphasize coronary artery disease in a differential diagnosis if the patient gives a history of avid running. Finally, more research is needed. Medical decisions about older athletes may be skewed because there are few data on the pathophysiology of illnesses within the active elderly population.
Most current knowledge is based on the more traditional, typically sedentary, older patient.
To prevent such outcomes and to work within the time and budget constraints of the current healthcare system, primary care physicians must be increasingly skilled in recognizing and treating illnesses in an older active population. The assertions presented here are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Army or Department of Defense. Clinical presentation of myocardial infarction in the elderly. Atypical presentations of cardiovascular disorders in the elderly. Atypical manifestation of pneumonia in the elderly.