Tuberculosis among older adults--time to take notice

Knowledge that older people are vulnerable to develop tuberculosis is rarely considered in developing country settings. According to 2010 Global Burden of Disease estimates, the majority of tuberculosis-related deaths occurred among people older than 50; most in those aged 65 and above. Older people also contribute a large proportion of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs); 51% of tuberculosis DALYs occurred in patients aged 50 years and older in East Asia. Tuberculosis age distributions in Africa have been severely skewed by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, but emerging data suggest increasing disease burdens among older people. Older adults are more likely to develop extra-pulmonary and atypical forms of disease that are often harder to diagnose than conventional sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Their care is complicated by more frequent drug-related adverse events and increased co-morbidity, which may prove difficult to manage in regions where health resources are already constrained. Health systems will have to confront the challenge of an ageing global population and the integrated services required to address their health needs.