**6.3 Geriatric patients**

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is high in the geriatric population, but there may be reluctance to consider an older patient for WCD therapy, in particular because it may be uncomfortable or feel restricting to them. In a large study of 1732 patients with ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy, patients were grouped by age into younger (<65 years) and older groups (≥65 years). The older group (n = 722) wore the WCD more hours per day (median 22.8 vs. 22.3, p < 0.001) and had higher rates of events (31.95 vs. 9.82, p = 0.027). Younger patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy had a higher rate of atrial arrhythmias (150.1 vs. 74.9, p = 0.055), and more following WCD therapy, a greater number of older than younger patients got a permanent ICD (41.8% vs. 36.5%, p = 0.034). Patients in both age groups tolerated WCD therapy well [34].
