Changing your lifestyle works (even in the elderly)!

When seeing an older patient, we often hesitate to advice them to adopt healthier health habits. We think it is difficult to change lifestyles is difficult (true!) and changing late in life may not change anything. Two studies on the association of healthy habits and mortality challenges this thinking. In both studies, those who had more of the healthy habits are less likely to die during follow-up.

The list of healthy habits are different but overlap. One lists regular exercise, healthy diet, smoking avoidance, and weight maintenance. The other lists a Mediterranean diet, moderate alcohol use, physical activity and nonsmoking status.

The bottomline is: those who have more healthy habits live longer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15383513

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23733562

Re-imagining geriatrics: an interesting geriatric care model

I like this geriatrician's model for delivering geriatric care. It sounds like a win-win for her and her patients. I wonder how this could be adapted to the Philippine setting.

http://www.over65.thehastingscenter.org/reimagining-geriatrics/

A geri-who?

downloaded from filipinolifeinpictures.wordpress.com 2011Dec28

A geriatrician is an internist or family physician who specializes in the care of the older person. 

Who needs a geriatrician? 

The older person does. Kids see a pediatrician. People with heart problems see a cardiologist. The older person should see a geriatrician.

But I (or my lolo or my lola) already see/s a cardiologist/diabetologist/etc?
Yes. The geriatrician can (and will) still help in the overall care of the older person.

What about if I (my lola/lola) am/is well?
The geriatrician can still help in two ways. First, in preventing disease or disability by suggesting personalized yet simple ways to do so. Second, by identifying "quiet" conditions that may lead to progressive disability or disease if not treated early.

First Post

Hello! I am an internist-geriatrician-rheumatologist. This is my first attempt at doing a health blog on common conditions in the older person or persons with arthritis, rheumatism and autoimmune disease.