Ageism in services for transient ischaemic attack and stroke: Whose ageism?

doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7571.755-a

BMJ 2006;333:755 (7 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7571.755-a

Letter

Ageism in services for transient ischaemic attack and stroke

Whose ageism?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—I have misgivings about the paper by Fairhead andRothwell and about the suggestions of ageism in the accompanyingeditorial by Young.^{1 2} In the introduction, we learn that lowerrates of treatment in older people might legitimately reflectpatients' choice. However, the conclusions of the abstract asserta willingness to have surgery on the part of elderly patients,and in the discussion section of the main paper we are toldthat the low rate of endarterectomy in patients of 80 and aboveis unlikely to have been due to patient choice. Neither of thesestatements is supported by a reference. In the methods section,we are told that all patients were interviewed and examinedso that the potential appropriateness of carotid surgery couldbe determined. However, we are not told how appropriatenesswas determined and from whose perspective.

Credit: SPL

When research findings contradict clinical experience, theydemand . . . [Full text of this article]

Iona Heath, general practitioner

Caversham Group Practice, London NW5 2UP iona.heath@dsl.pipex.com

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