Rehabilitation and life-style modification in the elderly.

Abstract

The projected growth of the elderly population in the United States in the coming years underlines the importance of assuring that the quality of life for older persons is maintained. Because CHD is prevalent in this population, measures for preventing disease as well as for optimizing the abilities of those with disease will assume greater significance. Exercise training is a key component in achieving and maintaining optimal capacities in the elderly cardiac and noncardiac populations. These groups can safely undergo exercise training with proper screening and program design. Modifications in the components of the exercise prescription (i.e., frequency, intensity, duration, and activity mode) must be individualized according to the abilities, needs, and goals of each person. Risk factors for CHD still prevail in the elderly, although the predictive value of some risk factors may change with age. For this reason, efforts to control risk factors in older individuals should still be effective in reducing risk from CHD. Dietary modification, weight control, blood pressure control, smoking cessation, and endurance exercise training are several of the interventions used in concert to control risk for CHD.