Radiologists, focus on senior-friendly imaging for personalized prevention

Italy confirms itself as one of the oldest countries in the world: there are 14.4 million people over 65 - that is, a quarter of the population - and in the next 20 years they will reach almost 19 million, over a third of the citizens. Among them, the over 80s will occupy a significant part: if today they are 4.6 million, it is estimated that in 2043 they will be over 6 million. These are the Istat data, which the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (Sirm), in collaboration with the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Sigg), highlighted to send a precise message: it is urgent to focus on the prevention of pathologies typical of the elderly and to adapt imaging protocols to take their characteristics into account. The topic was discussed at the conference 'Geriatric radiology, a new clinical-radiological approach'.

"Let's take osteoporosis as an example, one of the most widespread diseases in old age: an early diagnosis - says Nicoletta Gandolfo, president of Sirm - allows us to act with therapies that prevent fractures, instead of treating them once they have already occurred. This concept can also be applied to sarcopenia, degenerative cardiovascular diseases and other diseases typical of the elderly. For this reason, personalized imaging protocols are needed, which take into account the physiological changes of people, to obtain a correct global geriatric assessment. All this must contribute not only to preventing diseases but also to avoiding unnecessary overdiagnosis, so as not to subject the elderly patient to too many invasive and stressful tests, and this is then also reflected in the costs borne by the National Health System. The elderly use radiology much more than young people and for this reason we must implement more and more barrier-free pathways, support in the case of cognitive disorders and attention to contrast media, to which the over 65s may be more sensitive".

Therefore, emphasizes Stefania Montemezzi, president and coordinator of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission Sirm, "today radiology can help prevent the main pathologies of the elderly such as heart attacks, strokes, fractures and tumors through the use of diagnostic imaging, which allows for risk stratification and early identification of factors that can lead to major acute events. As Sirm we have organized courses focused on geriatric radiology, a new branch of the profession, which will take place in Lombardy, Tuscany and Calabria, aimed specifically at radiologists to delve into this topic and allow knowledge to then spread to every healthcare facility. In the near future we will have to face problems related to the aging of the population, such as the increase in the number of emergency room visits, the spread of chronic diseases, the need for beds and the increase in hospitalizations. Therefore we believe that training radiologists is truly necessary".