Introduction: The atrial fibrillation is a form of arrhythmia, which occurs most frequently among the aged and which often influences the therapy prescribed to them.
Material and methods: The present study addresses to a focus group of 79 hypertensive elderly patients, hospitalized at the Internal Medicine Clinic of Targu Mures during the year 2007. The parameters taken into consideration were distribution by age groups, gender, the existence of atrial fibrillation or other comorbidities and the administrated therapy.
Results: The distribution by age groups and gender reveals a higher number of hypertensive patients between 70 and 75 years and a more frequent affection of male patients. The associated comorbidities to our group of 28 patients with atrial fibrillation were cardiac ischemic disease (13 patients), heart failure (2 patients), both of these (6 patients) and chronic obstructive lung disease (7 patients). The medication administrated for the rate control consists of: beta-blocker in almost 50% of cases (13 out of 28 patients), digitalis (2 patients), and beta-blocker+digitalis for 6 patients. In 7 cases the rate control medication was not required.
Conclusions: The atrial fibrillation is a common condition among the hypertensive elders, and not infrequently associated with other cardiac comorbidities which contribute to the choice of appropriate medication.