World Scene: United States

Confused old patients die sooner

Understanding doctors' orders can be a matter of life or death for senior citizens: those who had trouble comprehending their physicians died sooner than their more savvy peers, US researchers said on Monday.

Medicare clients who were confused by pill bottles or appointment slips were 52 percent more likely to die over the six years of the study, especially from heart disease, said Dr David Baker of Northwestern University, who led the research.