Independence Threatened by Missed Conditions

About half of adults age 65 and older have health conditions that affect their ability to participate independently in daily living activities, such as bathing or dressing, according to a recent U-M study. These conditions are often overlooked by physicians.

Researchers found that 50 percent of the 11,000 older adults studied had a moderate to severe form of at least one of the following conditions: cognitive impairment, falls, incontinence, low body mass index, dizziness, vision impairment or hearing impairment.

The study was the first to investigate the total impact of geriatric conditions on health and disability in the older adult population, notes Christine Cigolle, M.D., a lecturer in family medicine and a physician in the V.A. Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

“Because the focus in medicine has been on diagnosing and treating diseases, these geriatric conditions can be missed by physicians,” says Cigolle. “Clinicians need to ask older patients about these issues. In many situations, they may be able to help manage the condition before it leads to disability.”

—Katie Vloet

For an expanded version of the story:
www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/geriatric.htm