Geriatric symposium report

Abstract

This symposium aimed to provide a practical ‘toolkit’ for the management of common elderly problems while keeping one eye on future developments. Dizziness, bone disease, age-related macular degeneration and cognitive impairment are a significant cause of symptoms and disability in older people. Treatment and advances in the management of these conditions were discussed. One of the key messages was using both clinical and risk assessment tools to identify those who will benefit from treatment. There is no more difficult a diagnosis than that of ‘frailty’ but compelling evidence was presented that this is a comprehensible and measurable diagnosis, with an interesting insight into the use of a ‘frailty index’. Cardiovascular disease in older people is becoming truly a ‘geriatric giant’. Leading experts discussed the clinical management of common cardiovascular problems presenting in older people with particular emphasis on the dilemmas faced by clinicians in managing these conditions in frail older people.