Assessment and treatment of obstructive airways disease in the elderly

Airways obstruction is a common problem in the elderly and may be overlooked because of the high prevalence of other disorders such as cardiac failure that have similar presentations. Identification of airways obstruction and assessment of responsiveness to treatment would be improved if simple tests of pulmonary function were performed on a routine basis in elderly patients complaining of respiratory symptoms. In the treatment of airways obstruction, particular attention needs to be paid to the patients' inhaler technique, their understanding of when the drugs should be taken and the effect that the therapy is having on symptoms, exercise tolerance, and quality of life as well as pulmonary function.