Aging trends in the United States and Europe continue to demonstrate an increasingly older society, a trend that is unlikely to change for decades to come. This trend would render it prudent for health care providers to better prepare for the changes in society and their health needs. The current number of older adults (aged over 65), about 13% of the U.S. population, is expected to grow to over 20% in the next 20 years. Preparation for the changes in society involves provision of training for current and future generations of physicians to deal with health problems of older adults.

Training programs in internal medicine and gastroenterology are required to deal with disorders of aging in the present day hospitalized, long-term care and community older adults. Physiological changes and disease processes in older adults differ significantly from those of the young; these are aspects that trainees and practicing physicians need to have an understanding of. Yet texts devoted to gastrointestinal illness in the elderly are scant at this stage and are clearly in demand.

This text provides a comprehensive overview of gastrointestinal disease and disorders in older adults. Divided into sixteen sections, this major reference work covers all aspects of gastroenterology as it pertains to older adults, including epidemiology, gastrointestinal physiology, motility disorders, luminal disorders, hepatobiliary disease, systemic manifestations, neoplastic disorders, gastrointestinal bleeding, and gastrointestinal cancer. In addition to fully revised chapters from the previous edition of Geriatric Gastroenterology, the latest edition features new chapters on drug injury to the GI tract, gut microbiota and aging, dysphagia, diabetes and its manifestations, and nursing for GI disorders. Nutrition and related disorders, as well as capsule endoscopy and its utility in the geriatric population, are also highlighted in the text. Presented in a simple, easy to read format, the volume includes numerous figures, tables, and key points to enable ease of understanding.