ABOUT 1,000 of the country’s doctors will hear four medical experts expound on the changing ways of treating the most common medical scourges in the world today during the fourth edition of the Unilab Inc.-organized Experts’ Convergence for Health Outcomes (Echo) Summit on April 26 at the Marriott Convention Center.
Themed “Longevity and Quality of Life Matters,” the summit will feature four global medical experts to help in the continuing medical education of the participants. The medical concerns of various population groups, with focus on the aging, will be discussed during the forum, to be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Prof. Nanette K. Wenger, a cardiologist at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, will discuss “Geriatric Cardiology: Octogenarian Pearls;” Prof. Zachary T. Bloomgarden, endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA, will expound on “Diabetes Care for the Older Patient: What are the Appropriate Goals;” Prof. Natan M. Bornstein, neurologist at Tel-Aviv University, Israel, will delve on the topic “Optimizing Cognitive Recovery and Managing Behavioral Complications in Post-Stroke Treatment;” and Dr. Alessandra Graziottin of the Gynecologist, Menopause, Oncology, Sexology Department of the H. San Raffaele Resnati in Milan, Italy, will talk about “From Menopause to Smart Aging: What you need to tell your patients.”
The four medical experts met members of the media in a news briefing held on April 25.
“In 2015 life expectancy of Filipino men was 68.8, and women 74.3. With more of the population reaching this stage, it is important that good health and quality of life is maintained by each and every Filipino. Thus, providing updates on these four common conditions encountered in the aging patient will allow our firstliners and family physicians to identify early—and hopefully avert—any possible complications,” said Dr. Ma. Rosario Sevilla, Echo Summit 2018 organizing committee chairman. She said these four topics are integral to promoting a long and good quality of life.
Hypertension and diabetes, Sevilla added, are still the leading causes of illness and death in the Philippines, while stroke and depression are also leading causes of disability among the vulnerable population. Menopause is the life change often associated with a sudden spike in the risk profiles of patients.
Bloomgarden will show the importance of individualized treatment approaches for diabetics aged over 65. While diabetes is associated with a reduction in life expectancy, Bloomgarden believes an older individual should not be immediately deemed as being not suitable for intensive treatment. While hypoglycemia is an issue, Bloomgarden will show that, through the use of newer approaches, older patients can still reap the benefits of glycemic control without potential harms from hypoglycaemia. Age, he said, cannot be thought of as a shortcut to the assessment of comorbidities, and a healthy older person above 65 years old should not be denied potential beneficial medical management.
Wenger will show why patient-centered care is required to embrace the complexities of cardiovascular diseases in older patients. These include multimorbidity, polypharmacy, frailty, cognitive impairment, functional status and disability. Also to be considered are the social, financial and physiological dimensions of aging.
Wenger believes patient-centered treatment goals are needed as quality of life, function, independence and avoidance of adverse effects are often more significant end points for older cardiovascular patients than solely issues of mortality. There must be attention to specific cardiovascular syndromes that predominate in seniors, including isolated systolic hypertension, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation. Thus, a systemic approach is required to incorporate age-related complexities into routine clinical decision-making.
Bornstein will center his talk on effects of stroke on older people, including post-stroke depression and cognitive decline, a more common case than stroke recurrence. About one-third of stroke survivors suffer from PSD. It is strongly associated with adverse impact on cognitive function and functional recovery, as well. With this, Bornstein advises doctors to be aware of post-stroke complexities, evaluate them and treat them to prevent PSD.
Graziottin will discuss the importance of developing effective hormonal and nonhormonal treatment strategies to protect all aging women. This is due to the many problems associated with menopausal transition, including issues like decreased frequency and lack of interest in sex, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and feeling compelled to have sex. Her discussion will also include the relationship between menopausal transition and the increased susceptibility to metabolic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, more so, if it was due to early surgical menopause.
Image credits: Alysa Salen