Prevalence of Arrhythmias in Indian Elderly Population Aged Above 65 Years - A Retrospective Observational Study

Background: Arrhythmia can affect individuals of any age, though it is more commonly observed in older individuals, with both occurrence and frequency significantly increasing as age advances. The objective of the present study is to assess the prevalence of the type of arrhythmias in older patients above 65 years with unexplained symptoms. Method: This is a single-center, retrospective observational study that included 1412 patients above 65 years of age. Patients who complained of puzzling symptoms were assessed for risk of arrhythmias using an ambulatory ECG monitoring solution that employs a wearable remote patient monitoring ECG patch. Results and Discussion A total of 1412 patients with unexplained symptoms of chest pain, weakness, palpitations etc., were included in the present analysis. Out of the 1412 patients under study, 582 patients were aged between 65-74 years, 470 patients aged between 75-84 years and 360 patients aged 80 and above. The majority of the patients were presented with sweating 64 (11%), 53 (11.27%) and fatigue 42 (11.6%) in age groups of 64-74, 75-84 and ≥ 85 years respectively. Diabetes and hypertension were the major comorbidities among the three patient groups included in the study. Atrial tachycardia was prominently observed in 236 patients, 193 patients and 28 patients in the age group of 65-74 years,75-84 and ≥ 85 years age groups respectively. Conclusion Authors concluded that the prevalence of arrhythmias was appropriately assessed in the geriatric population who presented themselves with puzzling symptoms. The study also ascertained that ambulatory ECG monitoring using a wearable ECG patch can be a promising diagnostic technique in assessing the risk of arrhythmias in vulnerable patients.