Epidemiology in Old Age

This major work with an internationally famous list of contributors deals with the ways in which needs assessment, service, evaluation, and public health and social policy may improve the care of elderly people in all societies. It discusses the methodology of epidemiological studies, risk factors, and the most common problems and diseases in old age. List of contributors

Foreword

Editorial preface

Preface

Mechanisms of ageing 3

Principles of epidemiology in old age 12

Ageing worldwide 22

Demographic aspects 32

Disability free life expectancy 41

Ageing in developing countries: a case study of Brazil 49

Conduct of long term cohort sequential studies 57

Clinical trials and meta-analysis 67

Health economics 78

Evaluation of health services 85

Health service use in mental illness 96

Health service use in physical illness 106

Community care 126

Value of screening in old age 136

Preventive medicine 145

Health promotion 153

Successful ageing 162

Nutritional status 171

Classical cardiovascular risk factors 184

Exercise 190

Migration and ethnicity 201

Gender 210

Quality of life 221

Functional ability 228

Social networks and support 236

Hypertension 245

Ischaemic heart disease 253

Stroke 262

Alzheimer's disease 270

Depressive illness 279

Osteoporosis 290

Proximal femoral fracture 300

Arthritis 311

Breast cancer 317

Prostatic cancer 324

Visual impairment 331

Hearing impairment 344

Incontinence 353

Falls 361

Accidents 369

Locomotor disability 378

Confusion 389

Iatrogenesis 398

Dying 408

Epilogue: Intersection of epidemiology and ageing 417

Index 421

Shah Ebrahim is the editor of Epidemiology in Old Age, published by Wiley. Alexandre Kalache is a medical epidemiologist specializing in the study of aging. Since 2012 he is President of the International Longevity Centre-Brazil and since 2015 co-President of the Global Alliance of International Longevity Centres.