UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Cardiology

Title: ACS in the elderly

Keywords: elderly, geriatric, acute coronary syndrome, electrcardiography (PubMed Search)

Posted: 1/25/2009 by Amal Mattu, MD (Updated: 3/28/2024)
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The elderly are less likely than younger patients to manifest significant (i.e. > 1mm) ST segment elevation on ECG when they have an acute MI. ST depresson and subtle or non-specific changes are more common and should be treated very aggressively. Despite this apparently more benign appearance in the ECGs of elderly patients, they account for 80% of all deaths from acute MI.