Geriatric psychiatry

Abstract

With the aging of the post-World War II baby boomers, we are on the cusp of explosive growth in the United States population >65 years of age. Indeed, Americans >85 years of age, proportionally, constitute the most rapidly growing segment of our population. Accordingly, this issue of Primary Psychiatry focuses on geriatric psychiatry. An increasingly common problem with advanced age is Alzheimer's disease. Advanced age is the number one risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Currently, 5 million older Americans are affected by this disorder, and the number will grow to nearly 30 million by the year 2050. At the moment, there is no known way to prevent Alzheimer's disease.