Health Treatment for the Elderly
National Institute of Health: www.nihnationalhealth.gov a talking Web site was created by the NIH in conjunction with the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging as a resource for information on health and medical research for people over 60. The site is specifically tailored to meet the needs of older people.
The site was unveiled at a Capital Hill briefing requested by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Io.) whose state is among those with a high percentage of people 65 and older. The site features large print and short easy to read paragraphs. Each topic provides general background information and photos. The site also has a "talking" function that allows users the option of reading the text themselves, or listening as the text is being read to them. The site complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, making it accessible for people with disabilities.
The FDA has finally stepped into the advertising claims being made by some of the anti-wrinkle labels for cosmetics by sending out warning letters that some of the ads violated FDA rules against drug claims by cosmetic firms. "Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in enforcement action, " the FDA said, including the possibility of seizure of the products in question or an injunction blocking the product distribution.
"We are concerned that some of the claims that are going onto cosmetics now have gone over into the drug realm, and we are looking into all of them," said Linda Katz, the director of the FDA's office of cosmetics and colors. This news follows on top of the FDA's obesity task force calling for action against food companies that put misleading serving sizes on labels. The task force also recommended changing nutrition labels on foods and beverages to list calories in larger type than the size now being used
As we review the professional research literature, we are often struck by the fact of undertreatment of elderly patients by the medical profession and/or the overmedication of the elderly. A good example of this is found in this weeks Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which would suggest that about half of the elderly patients who have heart attacks were not getting adequate care. The NY Times (July 28, 1999) quotes one of the main researchers of this study, Dr. Nathan R. Every, professor of medicine at the University of Washington, as saying "More attention needs to be paid to treating eligible elderly Americans with these life saving devices (referring to clot-dissolving drugs and angioplasty)."
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in older Americans. Dr. Sidney E. Smith, past president of the American Heart Association, indicates that use of clot-dissolving drugs and/or angioplasty may reduce death rate by half. (For those readers unfamiliar with angioplasty, it involves the insertion of a flexible tube with a tiny balloon at the tip into the artery to clear the blockage.)
The study in JAMA of 80,356 heart-attack patients over 65 years of age found that 59,673 individuals did not receive either clot reducing drugs or angioplasty within six hours of arrival at the hospital. As concerned lay people, we would wonder why. Those that received angioplasty had a 19 percent higher survival rate after one year compared to those that received clot-dissolving drugs.
Heart attacks occur when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot. Blood vessel problems develop over time and usually involve a buildup of cells, fat and cholesterol, commonly called plaque leading to stroke or heart attack. Heart and blood vessels, the cardiovascular system, is one of the many systems in the body. Symptoms of a heart attack include, but are not limited to, uncomfortable heavy feeling, pressure, pain or squeezing in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes.
The American Heart Association recommends a number of key steps we all can take to prevent heart attacks:
At the same time, hospitals must be prepared to take the steps to increase the chances of survival following heart attacks. There is no question that both these methods have their risk factors especially in the elderly and doctors should proceed cautiously, but when evidentiary medicine strongly suggests robust ways of saving lives, the medical profession needs to mobilize itself into action. We do not presume to tell the medical profession what to do. They are giant warriors in the battle against disease. We only ask that the elderly in our society get equivalent treatment when the methodology is available.
This site will continually cite peer reviewed professional research articles that indicate appropriate treatment for older Americans so that longevity can be improved and quality of life enhanced. At the same time we recognize that even with the best of medical treatment a life might not be saved. Nothing excuses the medical profession from providing the highest quality of care to the elderly.
At the same time, all of us must take control of our health by practicing wellness. The government must provide the highest environmental protection available to insure our quality of health is not effected by environmental pathogens, and not shift the blame to the individual for not practicing wellness.
FOR AN INFORMATIVE AND PERSONAL ARTICLE ON PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS WHEN SELECTING A NURSING HOME SEE OUR ARTICLE " How to Select a Nursing Home"
By Harold Rubin, MS, ABD, CRC, Guest Lecturer
May 19, 2004
http://www.therubins.com
e-mail: hrubin12@nyc.rr.com or rubin@brainlink.com