Gastrointestinal Disorders in Older Patients

The function of the gastrointestinal tract remains relatively stable throughout life, although the prevalence of certain gastrointestinal disorders increases with age [1–4]. With this in mind, the purpose of this chapter was to focus on the most common gastrointestinal disorders afflicting the geriatric population. Aside from gastrointestinal disease, this chapter also aimed to focus on less pronounced topics when caring for the geriatric patient from a gastroenterologist’s perspective, such as the patient-centered approach to care and risk/benefit analysis of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Overall, treating a geriatric patient with a gastrointestinal condition may involve complex decision-making depending on their comorbidities, acuity of the gastrointestinal illness, and goals of care.