XXXX in the elderly.

@entity1 @entity172 @entity459 @entity8 @entity2741 @entity604 @entity170 @entity7206 @entity460 @entity2742
@entity459 is a relatively common disease in elderly @entity1 . Many of its clinical presentations may be confused with normal aging. Among the elderly, @entity8 , particularly @entity170 , are the two aspects of the disease likely to cause the most morbidity. It is increasingly apparent, however, that a large group of @entity1 with @entity2742 are asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic. When symptoms are present, or repeated serum @entity460 levels all exceed 11.0 mg/dL, surgery is considered the treatment of choice. Success of surgery and of postoperative recovery are not affected by the age of the @entity1 , but are enhanced by the experience of the surgeon performing the parathyroidectomy. There are difficult management decisions to be made concerning the elderly asymptomatic @entity1 with mild @entity2741 . A conservative approach to therapy for these individuals would include maintenance of adequate hydration, and involvement in physical activity. Dietary restriction of @entity460 should be recommended only as long as there is no evidence that it is exacerbating negative @entity460 balance. Drugs likely to worsen @entity2741 , such as @entity7206 , must be avoided, and blood chemistries should be monitored at regular intervals. Because the @entity604 of @entity2742 may develop insidiously, serial bone density measurements are probably reasonable in older @entity1 already at risk for @entity170 . Accelerated @entity604 is an indication for surgical intervention. A wide variety of medications have been proposed for the treatment of @entity459 , but none stands out as a particularly desirable therapeutic alternative. Future research in this area, particularly with the use of @entity172 in postmenopausal @entity1 with @entity2742 , may eventually lead to greater acceptance of this alternative to surgery.
