Multidimensional evaluation of the elderly undergoing cardiac surgery*

Objective: Know the multidimensional aspects of the elderly undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: Descriptive epidemiological study conducted in the Cardiology Institute of the Distrito Federal-IC/DF. The instrument used for data collection contained the following variables: sociodemographic, clinical, assessment scores of cognitive function, emotional and functional capacity. Chi-square and Student’s T tests were used for data analysis. Results: Among the total population, 64% was female; illiterate elderly and with minimal training, combined, accounted for 80%. Dyslipidemia and systolic hypertension were the most prevalent chronic diseases. More than 50% of the elderly presented cognitive and emotional amendments, and functional dependency to some extent. Conclusion: These results point to the complexity of the elderly regarding their health condition, and also refer to the need for an integrated approach in health that reflects on improvements in the quality of life of the elderly.