High levels of underdiagnosis among older adults in Ireland

Many older adults in Ireland remain undiagnosed or inadequately treated for a range of conditions, with serious implications for wellbeing and health system efficiency, according to new research. The latest findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin found that, among 8,000 adults aged 50 or older, 36 per cent had undiagnosed hypertension and 45 per cent had undiagnosed high cholesterol - based on clinical thresholds. The report also found that depression in later life is underdiagnosed, under-treated, and often not reported at all. While 12 per cent of older adults had clinically significant depressive…