Geriatric Medicine

In 2006, the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Deanery (now part of East Midlands Healthcare Workforce Deanery) and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust were selected to jointly run a pilot project to meet the European…

The prevalence of heart failure is increasing due to an ageing population and success in delaying coronary events through primary and secondary prevention. New-onset or acute chronic decompensation resulting in hospitalisation represents a…

The GM editorial team received two letters, in response to the article entitled €œUrinary incontinence€, published in the March 2010 issue (GM March 2010; 40(3): 147€“52). Two specialists in Urological Surgery and an experienced specialist…

Amiodarone is a commonly prescribed medication that frequently causes thyroid dysfunction. Monitoring and treatment of this complication is therefore essential for patients taking long€‘term therapy.

The National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) is a web-based, clinically-led national audit of hip fracture care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It seeks to improve the quality and costeffectiveness of hip fracture care and to improve…

Historically, COPD has been seen as a disease for which little could be done. However, more recently a surge of interest has led to significant advances in treatments, such as long-acting bronchodilators, noninvasive ventilation and…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disorder in patients over the age of 35 who have an associated risk factor (generally smoking) and characteristic respiratory symptoms. Here, we summarise the current approach to…

Faecal incontinence is common in older adults. It remains largely a hidden problem and is socially disabling. It tends to have multiple contributory factors for any individual patient. Many people can be helped substantially by simple and…

GPs in the UK will, on average, each have 50 patients between the ages of 60 and 80 years with moderate€“severe lower urinary tract symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This article is the second part of a two-part review on…

Asthma in elderly patients is poorly studied, increasingly common, and often under-recognised and undertreated. Elderly patients have largely been excluded from clinical trials because of age and comorbidity. The British Thoracic Society's…

Payment by Results (PbR) is a model of financial flow within the NHS, where money is paid by commissioners for clinical work carried out. It poses challenges for clinicians and necessitates changes in work practices around discharge…

Recognising the needs of autistic adults is now an expectation enshrined in law, but little attention has been paid to the issues affecting older people with the condition. What is certain is that a significant challenge remains to ensure…

The gaming device Nintendo Wii is now recognised as a successful tool in young and elderly rehabilitation. Not just a physical therapy, €œWii-habilitation€ is helpful even in palliative patients as a means of distraction and improving…

Obesity has increased dramatically in the UK because of the ageing population alongside the general secular trend for weight gain across all age groups. Obesity exacerbates all the complications of old age and has a great impact on people's…

Part two of the anniversary article. First part published March 2011.