Centre for Policy on Ageing



Which benchmarks for age discrimination in acute coronary syndromes? — editorial
Author(s)	Andrew T Elder
Journal title	Age and Ageing, vol 34, no 1, January 2005
Pages	pp 4-5
Keywords	Heart disease ; Acute illness ; Health services ; Ageism.
Annotation	Attention is drawn to a paper elsewhere in this issue of Age and Ageing (pp 61-66) on results of the Prospective Registry of Acute Ischaemic Syndrome in the United Kingdom (PRAIS-UK) concerning the management of patients admitted to hospital with ICS. The results indicate that although older patients are at greater risk of subsequent adverse effects than their younger counterparts, they were much less likely to receive evidence-based treatments. Three justifications for this different treatment are given: "they don't benefit from it"; they don't want to have it"; and "it's not an appropriate use of limited resources". This editorial suggests that two things about such attitudes must change. First, more clinical research should be undertaken to identify patients who would benefit from treatment. Second, the National Service Frameworks (NSFs) for Chronic Heart Disease and Older People should build on their successes and develop targets and outcome measures relevant to older people's needs. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-080507211 A
Classmark	CQH: CHA: L: B:TOB
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.