Dan G. Blazer – författare

Popular culture often equates testosterone with virility, strength, and the macho male physique. Viewed by some as an a /antiaging tonic,a testosteronea (TM)s reputation and increased use by men of all ages in the United States have outpaced the scientific evidence about its potential benefits and risks. In particular there has been growing concern about an increase in the number of middle-aged and older men using testosterone and the lack of scientific data on the effect it may have on aging males. Studies of testosterone replacement therapy in older men have generally been of short duration, involving small numbers of participants and often lacking adequate controls. Testosterone and Aging weighs the options of future research directions, examines the risks and benefits of testosterone replacement therapy, assesses the potential public health impact of such therapy in the United States, and considers ethical issues related to the conduct of clinical trials. Testosterone therapy remains an attractive option to many men even as speculation abounds regarding its potential.

Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.

For most Americans, staying "mentally sharp" as they age is a very high priority. Declines in memory and decision-making abilities may trigger fears of Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases. However, cognitive aging is a natural process that can have both positive and negative effects on cognitive function in older adults - effects that vary widely among individuals. At this point in time, when the older population is rapidly growing in the United States and across the globe, it is important to examine what is known about cognitive aging and to identify and promote actions that individuals, organizations, communities, and society can take to help older adults maintain and improve their cognitive health. Cognitive Aging assesses the public health dimensions of cognitive aging with an emphasis on definitions and terminology, epidemiology and surveillance, prevention and intervention, education of health professionals, and public awareness and education. This report makes specific recommendations for individuals to reduce the risks of cognitive decline with aging.Aging is inevitable, but there are actions that can be taken by individuals, families, communities, and society that may help to prevent or ameliorate the impact of aging on the brain, understand more about its impact, and help older adults live more fully and independent lives. Cognitive aging is not just an individual or a family or a health care system challenge. It is an issue that affects the fabric of society and requires actions by many and varied stakeholders. Cognitive Aging offers clear steps that individuals, families, communities, health care providers and systems, financial organizations, community groups, public health agencies, and others can take to promote cognitive health and to help older adults live fuller and more independent lives. Ultimately, this report calls for a societal commitment to cognitive aging as a public health issue that requires prompt action across many sectors.

The loss of hearing - be it gradual or acute, mild or severe, present since birth or acquired in older age - can have significant effects on one's communication abilities, quality of life, social participation, and health. Despite this, many people with hearing loss do not seek or receive hearing health care. The reasons are numerous, complex, and often interconnected. For some, hearing health care is not affordable. For others, the appropriate services are difficult to access, or individuals do not know how or where to access them. Others may not want to deal with the stigma that they and society may associate with needing hearing health care and obtaining that care. Still others do not recognize they need hearing health care, as hearing loss is an invisible health condition that often worsens gradually over time. In the United States, an estimated 30 million individuals (12.7 percent of Americans ages 12 years or older) have hearing loss. Globally, hearing loss has been identified as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability.Successful hearing health care enables individuals with hearing loss to have the freedom to communicate in their environments in ways that are culturally appropriate and that preserve their dignity and function. Hearing Health Care for Adults focuses on improving the accessibility and affordability of hearing health care for adults of all ages. This study examines the hearing health care system, with a focus on non-surgical technologies and services, and offers recommendations for improving access to, the affordability of, and the quality of hearing health care for adults of all ages.

This issue of Psychiatric Clinics, edited by Drs. Dan Blazer and Susan Schultz, will cover a number of important aspects of Geriatric Psychiatry. Topics in this issue include, but are not limited to: Delirium in the elderly; Depression and cardiac disease in later life; Schizophrenia in later life; Anxiety Disorders in later life; Neurological changes and depression; Behavioral Changes with Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia; Palliative Care in Dementia and Chronic Mental Illness; Collaborative Care for the elderly with psychiatric disorders; and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders in the elderly.

This issue of Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, edited by Drs. Dan Blazer and Susan Schultz, will cover a number of important aspects of Geriatric Psychiatry. Topics in this issue include, but are not limited to: Delirium in the elderly; Depression and cardiac disease in later life; Schizophrenia in later life; Anxiety Disorders in later life; Neurological changes and depression; Behavioral Changes with Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia; Palliative Care in Dementia and Chronic Mental Illness; Collaborative Care for the elderly with psychiatric disorders; and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders in the elderly.

Depression has become the most frequently diagnosed chronic mental illness, and is a disability encountered almost daily by mental health professionals of all trades. "Major Depression" is a medical disease, which some would argue has reached epidemic proportions in contemporary society, and it affects our bodies and brains just like any other disease. Why, this book asks, has the incidence of depression been on such an increase in the last 50 years, if our basic biology hasn't changed as rapidly? To find answers, Dr. Blazer looks at the social forces, cultural and environmental upheavals, and other external, group factors that have undergone significant change. In so doing, the author revives the tenets of social psychiatry, the process of looking at social trends, environmental factors, and correlations among groups in efforts to understand psychiatric disorders.

Depression has become the most frequently diagnosed chronic mental illness, and is a disability encountered almost daily by mental health professionals of all trades. "Major Depression" is a medical disease, which some would argue has reached epidemic proportions in contemporary society, and it affects our bodies and brains just like any other disease. Why, this book asks, has the incidence of depression been on such an increase in the last 50 years, if our basic biology hasn't changed as rapidly? To find answers, Dr. Blazer looks at the social forces, cultural and environmental upheavals, and other external, group factors that have undergone significant change. In so doing, the author revives the tenets of social psychiatry, the process of looking at social trends, environmental factors, and correlations among groups in efforts to understand psychiatric disorders.

Clinical Manual of Geriatric Psychiatry provides the most current information on psychiatric diagnoses seen in older patients in a concise format. Each chapter is broken into easily understandable, increasingly focused sections, and contains an extensive array of tables, references, and suggested readings. Chapters include clinically relevant information and evidence-based treatments for a wide range of topics and disorders: ; The psychiatric interview of older adults, including history, family assessment, mental status examination, rating scales and standardized interviews, and effective communication techniques. Psychopharmacology, including information on antidepressants, psychostimulants, antipsychotic medications, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics and sedative-hypnotics, and cognitive enhancers. Diagnosis and treatment of delirium, dementia, mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and substance use disorders, including coverage of definition, epidemiology, clinical features, risk factors, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, prevention and management, and treatment guidelines. Individual and group psychotherapy strategies, including individual and group-based cognitive-behavioral therapies, interpersonal psychotherapies, relaxation training, cognitive stimulation therapy, and behavioral therapies. Clinical psychiatry in the nursing home, with a focus on cognitive disorders and behavioral disturbances, depression, treatment progress in this setting, and relevant federal regulations. Written by experts in geriatric psychiatry, this clinical manual provides a much-needed ""field guide"" for the care of nursing home patients and older adults. Busy clinicians, as well as researchers, residents, fellows, clinical psychologists, and social workers, will find this compact volume to be of the utmost value, as will anyone seeking to update their knowledge of geriatric psychiatry.