Geriatric Rehabilitation – Geriatrics: Nuts and Bolts of Healthy Aging, Polypharmacy and Sarcopenia-Geriatric Rehabilitation – Geriatrics: Nuts and Bolts of Healthy Aging, Polypharmacy and Sarcopenia

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the video, Dr. Friedman discusses the importance of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) in promoting healthy aging. She highlights the need for a common definition of healthy aging and shares examples of individuals who exemplify it. Dr. Friedman also discusses the trends in health, such as the rise in chronic diseases and decline in physical function in older adults. She emphasizes the role of age-friendly health systems and lifestyle factors like diet and exercise in promoting healthy aging.<br /><br />Dr. Strasser focuses on polypharmacy and its negative impact on health outcomes, such as falls and increased healthcare costs. He talks about the challenges in PM&R, including imprecise outcomes and underuse of non-medication strategies. Dr. Strasser discusses the importance of appropriate prescribing and preventing the prescribing cascade. He explores the impact of polypharmacy on specific areas of PM&R and encourages non-medication strategies and interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Strasser introduces the concept of medication deprescribing and emphasizes the need to assess medication validity and benefits.<br /><br />The speakers suggest strategies for promoting healthy aging, preventing sarcopenia, and managing polypharmacy. They emphasize lifestyle factors like physical activity, healthy eating, and social connectedness. The importance of reviewing medication lists, optimizing regimens, and minimizing adverse effects is also highlighted. Diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia through muscle assessment and exercise programs are recommended.<br /><br />In conclusion, promoting healthy aging and preventing age-related conditions require optimizing lifestyle factors, managing polypharmacy, and addressing sarcopenia. Healthcare providers play a crucial role in education, assessment, and treatment, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach.

Keywords

PM&R

healthy aging

chronic diseases

physical function

age-friendly health systems

diet

exercise

polypharmacy

falls

imprecise outcomes

non-medication strategies

sarcopenia

multidisciplinary approach