Informed by more than thirty years of experience, this guide provides a wealth of insight into the clinical observation, diagnosis and treatment of elderly patients. Organized geographically from (literally) head to toes, it concentrates on the basic geriatric physical examination with each chapter providing general information as well as helpful approaches to specific regional complaints. Emphasis is placed on assisting the dedicated clinician in becoming a more perceptive observer of elderly patients with honed skills in geriatric bedside diagnostic evaluation. The text also includes historical vignettes and anecdotes of great physical diagnosticians to demonstrate the evolution of clinical skills. Tables and line drawings complement the text.

This issue of Medical Clinics covers the important advances and current best practices surrounding the management of patients with diabetic chronic kidney disease. Guest edited by Mark Williams of the Joslin Diabetes Clinic, the topics covered will include proteonomics, diabetes and hypertension, obesity, genetic predispositions, pancreas transplantation, fibrotic therapies, and more.

In the past century, average life expectancies have nearly doubled, and today, for the first time in human history, many people have a realistic chance of living to eighty or beyond. As life expectancy increases, Americans need accurate, scientifically grounded information so that they can take full responsibility for their own later years. In The Art and Science of Aging Well, Mark E. Williams, M.D., discusses the remarkable advances that medical science has made in the field of aging and the steps that people may take to enhance their lives as they age. Through his own observations and by use of the most current medical research, Williams offers practical advice to help aging readers and those who care for them enjoy personal growth and approach aging with optimism and even joy. The Art and Science of Aging Well gives a realistic portrait of how aging occurs and provides important advice for self-improvement and philosophical, spiritual, and conscious evolution. Williams argues that we have considerable choice in determining the quality of our own old age. Refuting the perspective of aging that insists that personal, social, economic, and health care declines are persistent and inevitable, he takes a more holistic approach, revealing the multiple facets of old age. Williams provides the resources for a happy and productive later life.