Geriatric Heart Failure Research Program
Sponsors:
National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; UAB Divisions
of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, and Cardiovascular Disease; Sections of Geriatrics
and Cardiology; Birmingham VA Medical Center; UA Health Services Foundation; UAB
Center for Aging; UAB Center for Heart Failure Research; UAB Departments of Epidemiology
and Biostatistics; and Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation.
Purpose:
The purpose of the UAB Geriatric Heart Failure Program, led by
Ali Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A. is to promote research in geriatric
heart failure, provide clinical services to older adults with heart failure, train
residents, fellows, and students about assessment and management of heart failure
in older adults, and to raise awareness about the importance of geriatric heart
failure.
More than 80 percent of heart failure patients are older adults. Heart failure is
the number one hospital discharge diagnosis for persons 65 years and older. Heart
failure is also the only cardiovascular disease which is on the rise, mainly due
to the aging of the population. However, ironically, this is also in part due to
better management of hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes, the key
causes of heart failure.
Research:
As a part of his NIH/NIA K23 award Heart Failure and Beta-Blocker Use in Older Adults,
Ahmed has studied correlates and outcomes of beta-blocker use in older adults with
heart failure and presented results at the 2005 scientific sessions of the American
Heart Association. He has also studied the effects of digoxin (European Heart Journal,
2006; Circulation, in-press, 2006; Journal of Gerontology, Medical Science, in-press,
2006), diuretics (European Heart Journal, 2006), ACE inhibitors (Journal of the
American Geriatric Society, 2002 and American Heart Journal, 2005), depression (American
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology and American Journal of Geriatric Psychology, in-press,
2006), and consultation between generalists and cardiologists (American Heart Journal,
2003) on various outcomes in heart failure. The goal of Ahmed's pending R01 award
Heart Failure, Chronic Kidney Disease, And Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibition will
be to study the effect of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on heart
failure patients with chronic kidney disease.
Clinical:
The UAB and the VAMC Geriatric Heart Failure Clinics provide comprehensive care
to older adults with systolic and diastolic heart failure. Heart failure in older
adults is in many ways different than that in younger adults. Many heart failure
patients suffer from depression, dementia, arthritis, chronic kidney disease, hypertension,
coronary artery disease, and diabetes. These conditions affect the diagnosis and
management of heart failure. Many take multiple medications with potential serious
interactions with each other and with heart failure medications. The goal of the
clinic is to provide comprehensive care to older adults with heart failure, to reduce
morbidity and mortality, and help restore and maintain functional independence and
quality of life through maximum relief from symptoms.
Teaching:
Students, residents, fellows and post-doctoral trainees rotate in the geriatric
heart failure clinics, and participate in the above research activities can contact
Susie Watts, (tel) 205-934-9632, E-mail swatts@aging.uab.edu.
Collaborations:
The program actively collaborates with fellows and faculty members from within and
outside the division, department, school, university, and country.
Primary Contact Person:
Janet McCoy
Department of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
CH-19 218-A, zip 2041
Birmingham, AL 35205
(tel) (205) 934-9632