geriatric medicine

7 Stories

How to Live to 100: Learn to Bounce Back

Those who adapt to stress live longer, writes geriatrics expert

(Newser) - Dr. Mark Lachs is an expert on geriatrics, and his oldest patient is 109. Not only is she 109, but she still lives at home—"with all her marbles," he writes—and enjoys chocolate truffles and Budweiser. What's her secret? "Adaptive competence," which Lachs defines as...

The Battle to Get Elderly Back on Their Feet After Falls

Falls treated as complicated medical events instead of routine part of getting old

(Newser) - Falling and breaking a hip is so common among the elderly it's been considered an inevitable sign of aging, but medical experts have now developed complex protocols to both prevent and treat breaks that often trigger a spiral of decline, the New York Times reports. Even minor falls "need...

It's Health, Not Age, That Matters
 It's Health, Not
 Age, That Matters
Analysis
Aug 26, 2008 10:36 AM CDT

It's Health, Not Age, That Matters

McCain probably has enough juice left in tank

(Newser) - At 72, John McCain would be the oldest person elected president, but should that matter to voters? Probably not, according to geriatrics experts consulted by the Wall Street Journal. “Aging has such a small impact on how we function that it is of minimal importance,” says one specialist....

A Medical Frontier: 100-Year-Olds In Surgery

Doctors disagree on whether to operate on the 'late elderly'

(Newser) - Life expectancy in the United States keeps rising: more than 90,000 Americans have celebrated a 100th birthday, and experts foresee more than 1 million centenarians by 2050. As lifespans have grown, so too have medical efforts to treat the very old, from hip replacements to chemotherapy. But as the...

Slow Medicine Lets Elderly Go More Gracefully

Approach prefers less aggressive stance in fighting signs of aging

(Newser) - In a medical culture seemingly aimed at reviving and resuscitating, the slow medicine approach instead allows elderly patients to weigh the risks and burdens of treatment against the likelihood that it will significantly extend their lives. For many seniors, the philosophy offers the freedom to choose comfort over cure, dying...

Boomers Will Overrun Health System: Study

Aging US already low on doctors, others with geriatrics training

(Newser) - America’s healthcare system isn’t prepared to handle the wave of aging baby boomers about to hit, according to a sweeping government report released today. As that huge generation enters its 60s, the industry faces crisis-level workforce shortages, the Los Angeles Times reports. “There will never be enough...

Blood Pressure Drugs Cut Elderly Death Rate

Study finds surprise major benefit of treating those over 80

(Newser) - Death rates, heart attacks, and strokes among people over 80 can be cut significantly by common blood pressure medication rarely given to older people, finds a new large-scale study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found death rates among the elderly could be cut 21%...

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