Diagnostic Criteria for Senior Health

Half of all patients with Alzheimer’s are already in the moderate to severe stages of the disease by the time they are diagnosed. Increased attention to the early stages of AD is essential for proper treatment, planning and caregiver support.

There are several diagnostic tools that doctors use to test for Alzheimer’s disease. If a senior is experiencing unusual memory problems, confusion or changes in behavior, it is important to make an appointment with their physician as soon as possible.

You are seeing signs of Alzheimer's disease and want answers. What doctor should you see? Your family doctor can suspect Alzheimer's or other dementia, but they may not be qualified to diagnosis the disease.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted, or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.

Glaucoma is detected through a comprehensive eye exam. Treatments, including medication and surgery, delay progression of the disease, but do not restore eyesight that has already been lost.

Constipation in elderly individuals is common but often overlooked. For some, constipation is a persistent problem that causes discomfort and may even result in dangerous complications.

There's a common misconception that the primary indicator of dementia is memory loss. The reality is that different forms of dementia have different signs. Learn which signs commonly correspond with each type of dementia.

Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is an overwhelming experience, both for the senior and their family members. Take these seven steps after the diagnosis has been made to get organized and prioritize healthy living.

A significant number of elders are incurring unnecessary costs and endangering their health by getting colonoscopies too often.

Pre-diabetes indicates blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Anyone diagnosed as pre-diabetic is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Does your parent have diabetes? Explore the testing procedures used to diagnose diabetes and the best methods for controlling blood sugar levels once diagnosed.

Certain risk factors can increase the chances that a person will get diabetes. Some risk factors can be eliminated, while others cannot.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. The symptoms of RA include pain, stiffness, warmth, redness, and swelling of the affected joints.

Learn what red flags to look for and advice on what to do if you think your parent has dementia.

When a parent is diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia, children want to know, "Can Alzheimer's disease be inherited?" What causes Alzheimer’s disease isn't fully understood, but some cases of early-onset Alzheimer's called familial AD, are inherited.

Information about colon cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and cancer care.

Get information about breast cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and caring for someone who has breast cancer.

Information about bladder cancer treatment, causes, screening, clinical trials and research.

As people age, they are more likely to get cancer, even if no one in the family has had it. Learn about cancer, symptoms to look for, how cancer is diagnosed and what treatments are used for elderly cancer patients.

Diabetes is the number one cause of chronic kidney (or renal) failure in the U.S.