- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Chapter 140 Common geriatric emergencies
- Chapter 141 Management of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease
- Chapter 142 Oral health and mouth diseases
- Chapter 143 Gastrointestinal disease in the older population
- Chapter 144 Malabsorption
- Chapter 145 Constipation and faecal incontinence
- Chapter 146 Age-associated breathlessness
- Chapter 147 Anaemia
- Chapter 148 Endocrinology of ageing
- Chapter 149 Sexuality in older persons
- Chapter 150 Skin diseases more common in older adults
- Chapter 151 Common age-related eye diseases and visual impairment
- Chapter 152 Hearing impairments and their treatments
- Chapter 153 Dizziness and vertigo
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing
(p. 1115) Malabsorption
- Chapter:
- (p. 1115) Malabsorption
- Author(s):
Philippe Ducrotté
and Philippe Chassagne
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0144
The clinical challenge of recognizing then treating malabsorption is crucial in older patients, in whom the consequences in terms of both morbidity and mortality are more severe. This challenge is reinforced by a frequent atypical clinical presentation delaying the diagnosis in many cases. Indeed, as in many diseases that occur in old patients, symptoms such as weight loss are often considered to be related to altered appetite or increased catabolism rather than to malabsorption. We now have substantial evidence that malabsorption in older people should not be ascribed to the ageing process and should be evaluated in the same way as malabsorption occurring in younger patients. In an older patient, there may be several contributory causes.
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- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Chapter 140 Common geriatric emergencies
- Chapter 141 Management of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease
- Chapter 142 Oral health and mouth diseases
- Chapter 143 Gastrointestinal disease in the older population
- Chapter 144 Malabsorption
- Chapter 145 Constipation and faecal incontinence
- Chapter 146 Age-associated breathlessness
- Chapter 147 Anaemia
- Chapter 148 Endocrinology of ageing
- Chapter 149 Sexuality in older persons
- Chapter 150 Skin diseases more common in older adults
- Chapter 151 Common age-related eye diseases and visual impairment
- Chapter 152 Hearing impairments and their treatments
- Chapter 153 Dizziness and vertigo
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing