▁be ▁diagn osed ▁at ▁early ▁stages ▁of ▁their ▁conditions . ▁ ▁After ▁being ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁a ▁disease ▁that ▁may ▁be ▁potentially ▁cur able , ▁older ▁people ▁are ▁further ▁disc rimin ated ▁against . ▁Though ▁there ▁may ▁be ▁sur ger ies ▁or ▁operations ▁with ▁high ▁surv ival ▁rates ▁that ▁might ▁c ure ▁their ▁condition , ▁older ▁patients ▁are ▁less ▁likely ▁than ▁younger ▁patients ▁to ▁receive ▁all ▁the ▁necessary ▁treat ments . ▁For ▁example , ▁health ▁profession als ▁purs ue ▁less ▁ag gress ive ▁treatment ▁options ▁in ▁older ▁patients , ▁and ▁fewer ▁adult s ▁are ▁en rolled ▁in ▁tests ▁of ▁new ▁pres cription ▁dru gs . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁pos ited ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁because ▁do ctors ▁fear ▁their ▁older ▁patients ▁are ▁not ▁phys ically ▁strong ▁enough ▁to ▁toler ate ▁the ▁cur ative ▁treat ments ▁and ▁are ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁comp lications ▁during ▁surg ery ▁that ▁may ▁end ▁in ▁death . ▁ ▁Other ▁research ▁studies ▁have ▁been ▁done ▁with ▁patients ▁with ▁heart ▁disease , ▁and , ▁in ▁these ▁cases , ▁the ▁older ▁patients ▁were ▁still ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁receive ▁further ▁tests ▁or ▁treat ments , ▁independent ▁of ▁the ▁sever ity ▁of ▁their ▁health ▁problems . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁older ▁people ▁is ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁man aging ▁the ▁disease ▁rather ▁than ▁prevent ing ▁or ▁cur ing ▁it . ▁This ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁s tere ot ype ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁natural ▁process ▁of ▁ag ing ▁for ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁health ▁to ▁decrease , ▁and , ▁therefore , ▁there