Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
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Gastrointestinal problems in older adults

Approved: 2011

Collaborators:

  • Dr Derrick Lopez
  • Prof Leon Flicker
  • A/Prof Kieran McCaul

Synopsis

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like difficulty swallowing, indigestion, heartburn and constipation are common in old adults and can lead to a decreased quality of life. These symptoms are associated with malnutrition, weight loss and muscle weakness which suggests that they may increase the risk of frailty and mortality in old adults. The aim of this project is to study the association between (i) the frequency of each GI symptom (ii) the accumulation of GI symptoms and frailty and mortality among old adults in a longitudinal analysis from 2002 to 2008.