Health

NPR -  Errors in diagnosis are relatively common among older people. The reasons are many: older adults may have multiple conditions, take many medications, and illnesses can look very different in older people than they do in younger ones. Older adults may show different symptoms or none at all. And sometimes health care workers assume that whatever is bothering the patient is “because of your age.” All this can lead to older patients being either under-treated or over-treated. Sometimes there are even worse outcomes. According to a recent study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University, almost 800,000 Americans die or are permanently disabled each year because of diagnostic errors.

Washington Post -   A blood test can accurately diagnose 90% of Alzheimer’s cases.The simple test can outperform traditional exams in determining whether Alzheimer’s is responsible for memory problems, a new Swedish study found. The study may help efforts to develop a cheaper test that can quickly diagnose the disease without forcing people to undergo expensive or invasive exams.