ABSTRACT
The numbers of older (age over 65 years) and oldest (those over age 80 years) patients
with coronary artery disease (CAD) are increasing in our society at a tremendous rate.
Indeed, there has been unsurpassed growth in the elderly population in the last 10 to
15 years. Within a decade, one-sixth of the population, representing 45 million people,
will be over the age of 65 (1), with half of those being over the age 75 and some 25% of
those over the age of 80. The elderly have a high prevalence (about 60%) of significant
atherosclerotic CAD in at least one coronary vessel, with many becoming symptomatic
enough to require definitive treatment (2). The increase in prevalence of CAD with
increasing age is seen irrespective of gender status (3). Patients older than 65 now
constitute over half of all patients undergoing coronary revascularization procedures at
major medical centers (4-7).
