A Comparative Survey of Medical Disorders in the Elderly Persons
of Rural and Urban Area
of North India
844-847
Correspondence
Dr. Vinod Kumar Singh,
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine,
TMMCH&RC, TMU, Moradabad, India.
Phone: 9927033533
E-mail: drvksingh.tmu@gmail.com
E-mail: pkmaheshwari2011@gmail.com
Aims of the Study: To study the profile of medical disorders in the elderly persons who attended the medical outpatients department in a tertiary care hospital.
Methodology: This study was conducted in the Out-Patients Department of Medicine in the Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College Hospital and Research Centre for a period of 6 months and a total of 380 consecutive patients who were aged 60-years and above were enrolled in it. The data from these patients was collected by taking a detailed history and by conducting a physical examination as per the pre-designed proforma. The relevant investigations were done, wherever needed.
Results: Among the 380 patients, male patients (52.63%) predominated the female patients (47.37%). A majority of our patients were from the 60-70 years age group [82.00% (n=200) among the males and 82.22% among the females]. The no. of male patients (n=120) from the rural areas was higher than the number of females and the number of female patients (n=90) from the urban areas was higher than the number of males. The prevalence of various medical disorders in this population was: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – 24.21%, hypertension – 20.78%, pulmonary tuberculosis – 14.47%, coronary artery disease – 12.36%, diabetes mellitus – 12.63%, chest infection (non-tubercular) – 10.0%, cirrhosis of the liver - 3.42%. and various types of cancers – 2.10%.
Conclusion: The study showed a high prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, hypertension and coronary artery disease in the elderly persons who attended a large tertiary care teaching hospital in Moradabad, UP.