Geriatric Medicine

As a result of the ageing population and improved medical care causing people to survivepreviously fatal conditions (eg, myocardial infarction), heart failure occurs more and more ofenin the elderly population. Despite intensive medical…

Undiagnosed diabetes is common in older people. Early diagnosis is important to manage risk factors, control hyperglycaemia, reduce complications and improve quality of life. Symptoms of diabetes in the elderly may be atypical so more than…

Despite classically appearing in a younger age group, Ménière's disease remains a significant cause of dizziness in the elderly population. The non-specific pattern of symptoms can make the disease difficult to diagnose and no firm…

Falls and urinary incontinence are major problems among older people. Both are associated with significant morbidity and consumption of healthcare resources, and a consistent relationship between falls, urinary incontinence and some lower…

This report is based on presentations given at the satellite symposium A new option for your high risk patients with aortic stenosis, which took place at the 2011 Spring meeting of the British Geriatrics Society, Liverpool.

The end-goal of any good doctor's work should be the diagnosis of a patient to enable effective management and treatment but also to give the patient a possible prognosis. In a personal view in the BMJ last year, Gordon Caldwell, a…

This review article looks at identifying late-life depression, which is a common presentation in primary care, and to identify hidden signs and symptoms. It also reviews pharmacological and non pharmacological approaches in treating…

Nocturia is a common and ofen distressing condition with increasing incidence in the elderly. It has multiple causes and a focused history taking and physical examination will help to establish the underlying diagnosis. A voiding chart is a…

A significant number of men with prostate cancer will be elderly. Although some of the issues they face will be the same as their younger counterparts, they will also have their own unique set of issues such as concerns about the practical…

Acute chest pain is a common presenting complaint in hospital practice. The differentialdiagnosis of chest pain is broad and includes life threatening conditions such as theacute coronary syndromes (ACS). ACS include ST elevation,…

From the Department of Health to Dementia Action Alliance the knives have been out fordoctors who prescribe antipsychotics in dementia. But has the voice of pragmatism been lost inthe din of righteous indignation? While good care can make…

Geriatrics grew out of long term institutional care of the sick and infirm during the late 1940s and 1950s. The importance of comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment and the effectiveness of rehabilitation allowing both appropriate care…

A fragility fracture is ofen the first sign that someone has osteoporosis, as there are no associated signs or symptoms, and this has lead to the condition being called the €œsilent epidemic.€ For the past 25 years, the National…

The NICE Guideline Development Group has spent 18 months reviewing every aspect of blood pressure care, from initial diagnosis to its long term management in patients of different ages and races and with the condition at different stages.…

I have been a GP for nearly a quarter of a century and I have witnessed many changes in the way that general practice is run in this country. These administrative changes seem to be ongoing and it is not always easy to keep up-to-date with…