RT Journal
A1 LeBlond RF
T1 OPtions to control the health care costs of the elderly
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 1989
FD August 11
VO 262
IS 6
SP 774
OP 775
DO 10.1001/jama.1989.03430060068022
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1989.03430060068022
AB To the Editor.— 
    I concur with Dr Schneider' that the use of age as a criterion for the rationing of health care is misdirected.The problems that face the elderly today are chronic and incurable though treatable, such as coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, chronic dementing illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease, other neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, and disabling syndromes of the musculoskeletal system, particularly osteoporosis. Unfortunately, Dr Schneider uses as examples two infectious diseases, tuberculosis and poliomyelitis. As those of us who practice medicine are well aware, infectious diseases frequently are curable (tuberculosis) or preventable (polio). The chronic diseases previously enumerated are neither curable nor likely to be preventable with a program as cost-effective as vaccination.A more appropriate example would be coronary artery disease. Increased understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of coronary artery disease has led to a decline in the mortality rate