Significance of Systolic Murmurs in the Aged

Abstract

A prospective study of the heart murmurs in 30 elderly patients, none of whom had a history of rheumatic heart disease, was undertaken by use of phonocardiography, carotid-pulse recording and amyl nitrite. Systolic ejection murmurs were recorded in 29 patients, 24 increasing in intensity with amyl nitrite inhalation. Twelve had abnormal carotid-pulse tracings typical of aortic stenosis. There were few of the usual associated clinical findings of aortic stenosis. Other findings such as atrial gallops and diastolic murmurs were not infrequent.