Geriatric Medicine

Anaemia is a commonly encountered clinical entity. It can affect women of all ages and is not an ultimate diagnosis. An underlying aetiology should always be sought.

Doctors have a duty to advise patients about the legal obligations of driving license holders when diagnosed with dementia. If patients do not follow advice, adopting proportionate and incrementally assertive steps leading to direct…

Within chronic pain states, neuropathic pain is often poorly recognised, yet its presence worsens prognosis and complicates treatment. Although it often exists in isolation after damage to nerves, more commonly it occurs alongside…

I was very impressed by the article Positive solutions in chronic pain that appeared in GM January 2009. I have experienced both sides of the problem of chronic pain, first as a general practitioner (recently retired), and now as a patient.…

The UK Lung Cancer Coalition is a partnership of charities, clinicians, senior NHS professionals and health-care companies with a commitment to double lung cancer survival. It is the nation's only multi-interest group in lung cancer.

Little attention is given to palliative care for patients with non-cancer disease such as end-stage renal failure. Sometimes dialysis either cannot be started or needs to be stopped in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities.…

Gout is a very common disease, particularly in older men. It manifests as swollen painful joints resulting from intra-articular deposition of monosodium urate crystals. Initial treatment is with high doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory…

Around a third of osteoporotic fractures occur in men. Generally, hip fractures are associated with high rates of morbidity, disability, and mortality.

Good communication skills are essential, particularly in the care of older people. Interactions between doctors and patients or patients' relatives will increase since the arrival of lasting power of attorney, implemented with the Mental…

The skin of the legs can be affected by several disorders such as venous ulcers and forms of eczema, as well as purpura, cancers, and infections. Since the legs are usually covered by clothing, patients might not know about the condition…

Falls are a major cause of disability, are the leading cause of mortality resulting from injury, and have a huge impact on health-care costs. 33€“50% of people older than 65 years fall each year. Thousands of those fall at home, and more…

The myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of disorders predominantly affecting elderly people, leading to ineffective haematopoiesis, and they have the potential to develop into leukaemia. Classification and prognostic systems help to…

Within chronic pain states, neuropathic pain is often poorly recognised, yet its presence worsens prognosis and complicates treatment. Although it often exists in isolation after damage to nerves, more commonly it occurs alongside…

The reciprocal link between depression and poor physical health has long been recognised. Exercise is a useful intervention, and its direct benefits may be enhanced by the increased social engagement elicited. A healthy diet is probably…

Specialist stroke rehabilitation aims to promote independence and reintegration into the community. Early supported discharge of stroke patients with mild-to-moderate disability by a coordinated multidisciplinary team not only improves…