In most Western societies, the percentage of patients ⩾60 years has been increasing over the past century. This has become a challenge both economically and socially. Medical science, which initially increased life expectancy, now faces the task of predicting outcome early in an unexpected disease such as subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). This is difficult, particularly in the geriatric population ⩾75 years. The study by Nieuwkamp et al(see p 933)¹ deals with this important issue in a cohort of 170 patients from two different institutions, who were studied retrospectively. Overall favourable outcome was seen in 15% of patients in the …