Geriatric medicine

Geriatrician assessment could help GPs with older people’s medicines optimisation

A study has found that involving secondary care geriatricians in general practice could help support GPs in optimising older patients’ medications.…

Pharmacists urged to look out for signs of substance misuse in over 50s

A consultant psychiatrist who specialises in older people has urged pharmacists to be “more vigilant” over the detection of substance misuse in people aged over 50 years.…

Database of anti-ageing compounds launched

A database of anti-ageing compounds has been created by scientists at the University of Liverpool and the Biogerontology Research Foundation.…

Beta-blockers risk functional decline in some older patients

Nursing home residents with pre-existing cognitive or functional impairments were at a higher risk of functional decline after taking beta-blockers following acute myocardial infarction, study shows.…

New biologic is active against Alzheimer’s amyloid plaques

The level of amyloid-beta plaque deposition in the brain decreased after monthly infusions of aducanumab, study finds.…

Calcium supplements pose dementia risk in some women

An observational study revealed that older women with cerebrovascular disease were at increased risk of dementia if they took calcium supplements…

COPD patients who use opioids at risk from respiratory complications

Older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who take opioids to relieve their symptoms increase their risk of dying from a respiratory-related complication compared with non-opioid users, according to new research.…

FDA approves drug for dry eye disease

A new class of drug is being made available in the United States to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease, the US Food and Drug Administration has announced.…

Intensive blood pressure lowering saves lives, study shows

Researchers find there were fewer deaths and cardiovascular events after three years in older patients with blood pressure targets of less than 120mmHg.…

Home visit service could reduce medicines-related harm for vulnerable adults

Providing a medicines optimisation service to frail and vulnerable people at home can reduce the risk of medicines-related harm and could prevent hospital admissions, say the authors of a report in Clinical Pharmacist.…