Illness and surgery don't contribute to long-term cognitive decline in seniors and don't accelerate progression of dementia, researchers say.
The findings of a new study, published in the November issue of Anesthesiology, challenge the widely held belief that elderly patients suffer major deterioration in mental function after surgery.
"The concerns surrounding postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) following surgery certainly will not evaporate following publication of this study," researcher Michael S. Avidan, of the Washington University School of Medicine, said in a news release from the American Society of Anesthesiologists. "The important message to take from these findings is that persistent cognitive deterioration following surgery might not be a major public health problem. The decision to proceed with surgery should presently be made based on a person's general health and the specific risks and benefits of the procedure."
For the study, Avidan and colleagues looked at 575 patients tested annually at Washington University's Alzheimer Disease Research Center. At the start of the study, 361 patients had very mild or mild dementia and 214 were dementia-free. The patients were divided into three groups -- those who'd undergone non-cardiac surgery, those with illness, and those with neither.
READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illness. Show all posts
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Tyranny of Diagnosis
Not long ago, while surfing online for one disease, I got sidetracked by another: cryptogenic cirrhosis.
I have cared for patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis. It is a common cause of liver-related illness and death in the United States, and symptoms can range from jaundice, bleeding and confusion to life-threatening hemorrhage, coma and death.
The cause of the disease, as the name implies (from the Greek “krypt,” or hidden, and “genesis,” or origin), has long been unknown. Every one of my patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis has heard the same thing from their doctors, including myself: “We have no idea why you are so sick.”
For these patients, cryptogenic cirrhosis is not a diagnosis but a non-diagnosis.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
I have cared for patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis. It is a common cause of liver-related illness and death in the United States, and symptoms can range from jaundice, bleeding and confusion to life-threatening hemorrhage, coma and death.
The cause of the disease, as the name implies (from the Greek “krypt,” or hidden, and “genesis,” or origin), has long been unknown. Every one of my patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis has heard the same thing from their doctors, including myself: “We have no idea why you are so sick.”
For these patients, cryptogenic cirrhosis is not a diagnosis but a non-diagnosis.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
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