title: Renal disease in the geriatric patient.
abstract: Although there are physiologic and anatomic changes of the kidney that occur almost universally with aging, no specific kidney disease that is totally confined to the geriatric population has been identified. Kidney diseases that predominate in the elderly include vascular and atheroembolic diseases, obstructive nephropathies, nephropathies secondary to certain systemic diseases, and intrinsic kidney disease. An understanding of the age-related changes of renal architecture and function is necessary to distinguish them from actual diseases that affect the aged kidney. These changes and their probable consequences for the geriatric patient are reviewed. We then discuss particular aspects of renal diseases that occur more commonly or have unique age-related manifestations in the elderly.
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000209:etiology; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000209:etiology; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000503:physiopathology; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000150:complications; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000150:complications; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology