RT Book, Section
A1 Ferrucci, Luigi
A1 Studenski, Stephanie
A2 Kasper, Dennis
A2 Fauci, Anthony
A2 Hauser, Stephen
A2 Longo, Dan
A2 Jameson, J. Larry
A2 Loscalzo, Joseph
SR Print(0)
ID 1120786054
T1 Clinical Problems of Aging
T2 Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19e
YR 2014
FD 2014
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071802154
LK accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1120786054
RD 2022/06/25
AB While  an  in-depth  understanding  of  internal  medicine  serves  as  a  foundation,  proper  care  of  older  adults  should  be  complemented  by  insight  into  the  multidimensional  effects  of  aging  on  disease  manifestations,  consequences,  and  response  to  treatment.  In  younger  adults,  individual  diseases  tend  to  have  a  more  distinct  pathophysiology  with  well-defined  risk  factors;  the  same  diseases  in  older  persons  may  have  a  less  distinct  pathophysiology  and  are  often  the  result  of  failed  homeostatic  mechanisms.  Causes  and  clinical  manifestations  are  less  specific  and  can  vary  widely  between  individuals.  Therefore,  the  care  of  older  patients  demands  an  understanding  of  the  effects  of  aging  on  human  physiology  and  a  broader  perspective  that  incorporates  geriatric  syndromes,  disability,  social  contexts,  and  goals  of  care.  For  example,  care  planning  for  the  older  patient  should  account  for  the  substantial  portion  of  the  wide  variability  in  life  expectancy  across  individuals  of  the  same  age  that  can  be  predicted  by  simple  and  inexpensive  measures  such  as  walking  speed.  Estimation  of  the  expected  remaining  years  of  life  can  guide  recommendations  about  appropriate  preventive  and  other  long-term  interventions  and  can  shape  discussions  about  treatment  alternatives.