Care of older people

It’s time for comprehensive polypharmacy reviews for older people with cancer

The number of older people with cancer is growing and so is their risk of harmful polypharmacy — care for this expanding group of patients must improve.…

Failing the frailest

A new analysis suggests that thousands of vulnerable older people could be at risk because their medicines have not been reviewed by their GP.…

Tens of thousands of severely frail older people miss out on vital medicines checks

At least four in ten older patients failed to receive an annual medicines use review at their GP surgery in 2019, potentially putting them at increased risk of falls or hospitalisation.…

Antidepressant use soars despite static depression prevalence, study finds

Use of antidepressants among older people has more than doubled over the past 20 years, despite little change in the prevalence of depression, research published in The British Journal of Psychiatry has shown.…

Individualised approach to care reduces overtreatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in frail older people

Intensive treatment with insulin and sulfonylureas in older people with low HbA1c (<53mmol/mol) can increase the risk of hypoglycaemia, morbidity and mortality. Older people are less likely to benefit from the long-term protective effects of good glycaemic control and are at risk of inappropriate…

Medication dosing could be ‘poisoning’ older people because of age exclusion in clinical trials

Older patients are often being ‘poisoned’ because licensed doses of drugs are only tested in younger, healthy populations, witnesses have told a House of Lords Science and Technology Committee inquiry.…

Case-based learning: palliative and end-of-life care in community pharmacy

Community pharmacists encounter patients at all stages in their life; however, patients who require palliative care require dedicated time and special consideration.…

Stopping statins in older patients increases risk of cardiovascular-related hospital admission

Statin discontinuation in patients aged 75 years and over is associated with a 33% increased risk of hospital admission for a cardiovascular event, a study published in European Heart Journal has found.…

Heart failure, older people and frailty

Diagnosis of heart failure and frailty can often be masked by other long-term conditions, making the delivery of treatment goals complicated.…

Less than 10% of eligible adults had NHS health check last year

Fewer than one in ten eligible adults had a NHS Health Check over the past year, figures published by the NHS have revealed.…