cardiovascular disorders
Palpitations
Geriatrics Essentials: Palpitations
Older patients are at particular risk of adverse effects of antiarrhythmics; reasons include lower glomerular filtration rate and concomitant use of other drugs. When drug treatment is needed, lower doses should be used to start. Subclinical conduction abnormalities may be present (recognized on ECG or other studies), which might worsen with use of antiarrhythmics; such patients may require a pacemaker to allow the use of antiarrhythmics. 