Several clinical tools are available for identification of patients at risk of cardiac arrhythmias or its consequences that may benefit from interventions to reduce morbidity and risk of sudden death. These include noninvasive tests, such as a standard (more…)

Aging is associated with progressive fibrosis of the sinoatrial node and AV conduction system, resulting in bradycardia, which may be further exacerbated by disease and medications, resulting in symptoms requiring permanent pacemaker implantation. More than 80% of pacemaker recipients in the United States are older than 65 years, and the median age is 75 years. As the population ages, it is anticipated that the number of older persons requiring permanent cardiac pacemakers, as well as the associated costs, will continue to rise. (more…)

Atrial Fibrillation affects approximately 2.3 million people in the United States and is the most common rhythm disorder among U.S. patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of an cardiac arrhythmia. The median age of Atrial Fibrillation patients is 75 years; 84% are older than 65 years. Pooled data from studies of chronic Atrial Fibrillation in North America, Britain, and Iceland suggest a prevalence of 0.5% to 1% in the general population. (more…)

The majority associated with leading cause of deaths in America are due to medical health issues, not accidents, regardless of what your mother told you. The National Center for Health Statistics compiles the listing of killers and leading causes of death in America. A number of on the list you can not manage but others you can. There are several things that you can do to minimize getting the risk of the leading causes of death. If you eat right, exercise, don’t smoke, keep your weight under control, and manage your stress, then you are having a big change to live longer and having prolonged life than average American. (more…)

Cancer occurrence rates in a period of time for a given population is expressed in various ways. The incidence rate is a direct measure of the probability of developing cancer and is usually expressed per year. Incidence rates may be crude (all ages) or age specific. Since cancer is very age dependent, age specific rates are usually more informative. Cancer in elderly is more prevalent compare to cancer in younger age. When comparing population groups with different age distributions (such as the United States vs. China), the incidence rate should be age adjusted by multiplying each age-specific rate by the percent of individuals in a population with the same ages and then summing these to produce a single value. For etiological studies, incidence rates tend to be more informative than mortality rates, as they identify all diagnosed cases. (more…)

Obesity in the elderly is a major health crisis facing our population that may predispose the elderly to the same adverse health outcomes facing the younger, obese population. However, several studies have suggested that the risk of obesity on life span is less in the elderly and may even become insignificant. However, these studies have found an increase in disability in older subjects with obesity. (more…)

Because it expresses my own orientation, I carry in my wallet a membership card to the Society for the Right to Die, which has imprinted on the back a signed statement of my living will.

When the aging process accelerates inexorably, you usually don’t just fail to wake up one morning because of old age. One of the many illnesses that afflict the elderly with increasing frequency will likely be the cause of death and dying. Here is where I feel a living will is important. (more…)

It is estimated that about 6 million Americans over 65 suffer from depression in late life. The sad reality is that 10% are looking for and get treatment of late life depression. It is common that many illness and disabilities are accompanying late-life depression. When people reach certain age in this age, your support system begins to collapse. Family and friends, Spouses, siblings and friends die. You are about to retire or move. People with depression are likely to see a decline in quality of life. This can deprive them personal joy and productivity and he hope for the future. (more…)

Since the 1960s a number of critiques have been developed about the misrepresentations inherent in the images which portray minority groups. Critiques have been increasingly made of what are seen as demeaning images of women, gays, the living elderly index, ethnic groups and regional minorities. Here the assumption is that such groups suffer from the imposition of negative stereotypes: images which do not accurately represent their everyday realities and aspirations. (more…)

Hospice care became a recognized benefit under Medicare in 1983, and approximately 90% of all hospice programs are Medicare certified. As 28% of all Medicare costs go to persons in their last year of life, and 50% of such costs are expended during the last 2 months of life, (more…)