Urinary tract symptoms are frequently lacking in the elderly. The presentations may be vague with incontinence, a change in mental status, or fatigue as the only symptoms, while some present to a health care provider with sepsis, an infection of the blood, as the first symptoms.
This year, more than 300,000 Americans will die from illnesses related to overweight and obesity. Obesity contributes to the number-one cause of death in our nation: heart disease. Excess weight has also led to an increase in the number of people suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000. Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Dr. Starfield offers several caveats in the interpretations of these numbers: