Hospital morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases in elderly individuals living in Alegre County – ES/Brazil: analysis from 2008 to 2017

Abstract

Introduction: Population aging in Brazil is a reality that brings to light some reflections, such as the need of providing better quality of life to, as well as of diminishing or minimizing the effects of aging-related issues such as cardiovascular diseases on the elderly population. Objective: Featuring the number of elderly patients hospitalized due to cardiovascular diseases, from 2008 to 2017, in Alegre County - ES/Brazil. Methods: Quantitative study, based on data collected from the Hospital Information System. Data were expressed as absolute and relative frequency, based on variables such as sex, race/color, age, elective and emergency hospitalizations and main diseases causing morbidity among elderly individuals. Results: In total, 2,413 hospitalizations were observed in the investigated period, which corresponded to 55.8% of the elderly population, 51.5% were men, 62.2% of hospitalized patients were white, and emergency hospitalizations prevailed in comparison to the elective ones. Heart failure was the cardiovascular disease recording the highest morbidity rate 823 hospitalizations (34.1%). Conclusion: In the decade studied, there was a large number of hospitalizations for cardiovascular morbidity, with more than half of these in the elderly population. In addition, heart failure was the highest registered morbidity, affecting mostly males.