Thursday, March 06, 201

People in America today can expect to live longer than ever before. Once you make it to 65, the data suggest that you can live another 19.2 years, on average. For many, then, senior living includes carefully managing chronic conditions to stay healthy. “You need to be physically active and eat a healthy diet" and also make healthy lifestyle choices, like quitting smoking and losing weight, to avoid senior health risks, explained Jeanne Wei, MD, director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas Medical School in Little Rock. Also, including a geriatrician, a doctor who specializes in the health concerns of aging, on your senior health care team can help older adults learn how to live better with any chronic diseases. Then you too can be among the 76 percent of people over 65 who say their health is good or excellent.

Arthritis
“Arthritis is probably the number one condition that people 65 or older contend with,” said geriatrician Marie Bernard, MD, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Md. It affects about 51 percent of all adults over 65 and can lead to pain and lower quality of life for some seniors. Although arthritis can discourage you from being active, it’s important to work with your doctor to develop a personalized activity plan that, along with other treatment, can help maintain senior health.

Heart Disease
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease remains the leading killer of adults over age 65, accounting for 1,156 deaths per 100,000 people in 2009, the most recent statistics. As a chronic condition, heart disease affects 37 percent of men and 26 percent of women 65 and older. As people age, they're increasingly living with risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, that increase the chances of having a stroke or developing heart disease. Dr. Bernard’s advice for addressing this senior health risk not only helps with heart disease but can improve senior health across the board: “Exercise, eat well, get a good night’s rest. Eating well means eating in a fashion that will allow you to keep a healthy weight with a well-balanced and healthy diet."

Cancer
Cancer is the second leading cause of death among people over age 65, with 982 deaths a year per 100,000 people. According to the CDC, 28 percent of men and 21 percent of women over age 65 are living with cancer. If caught early through screenings such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and skin checks, many types of cancer are treatable. And though you're not always able to prevent cancer, you can improve quality of life as a senior living with cancer, including during treatment, by working with your medical team and maintaining their healthy senior living recommendations.

Respiratory Diseases
Chronic lower respiratory diseases, such as COPD, are the third most common cause of death among people 65 and older, annually taking 291 lives per 100,000 people. About 10 percent of men and 13 percent of women are living with asthma, and another 10 percent of men and 11 percent of women are living with chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Although having a chronic respiratory disease increases senior health risks, making you more vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia, getting lung function tests and taking the correct medications or using oxygen as instructed will go a long way toward preserving senior health and your quality of life.


Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for about 184 deaths per 100,000 people over age 65 each year. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that as many as 5 million adults over 65 live with Alzheimer’s disease, but because diagnosis is challenging, it’s difficult to know exactly how many people are living with this chronic condition. However, experts acknowledge that cognitive impairment has a significant impact on senior health across the spectrum, from issues of safety and self-care to the cost burden of care in the home or a residential facility.

Osteoporosis
“Osteoporosis can contribute to becoming less mobile and potentially disabled should you fall and have a fracture or as the collapse of vertebral bodies,” Bernard said. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that 52 million Americans are affected by low bone mass or osteoporosis, putting them at risk for a fracture or break that could lead to poor senior health and reduced quality of life.

Diabetes
About 24 percent of men and 18 percent of women older than 65 are living with diabetes, a significant senior health risk. According to CDC data, diabetes causes 121 deaths annually among 100,000 adults over age 65. Diabetes can be identified and addressed early with simple blood tests for blood sugar levels. The sooner you know that you have or are at risk for diabetes, the sooner you can start making changes to control the disease and improve your long-term senior health outlook.

Influenza and Pneumonia
Although the flu and pneumonia are not chronic conditions, these infections are among the top seven causes of death in people over age 65, at 104 per 100,000 adults a year. Seniors are more vulnerable to these diseases and less able to fight them off. Senior health care recommendations include getting an annual flu shot and getting the pneumonia vaccine if recommended by your doctor to prevent these infections and their life-threatening complications.

Falls and Other Injuries
The number of physical injuries from falls, accidents, and violence is hard to track, but data from the CDC suggest that 29.1 percent of emergency room visits by seniors are related to injury and 13.5 percent are due to unintentional falls. It's also known that the risk for falls requiring emergency room care increases with age. Most falls occur in the home, where tripping hazards include area rugs and slippery bathroom floors, according to the January 2013 issue of the Journal of Injury and Violence Research.

Substance Abuse
An analysis of data from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions suggests that one in five people over 65 have had a substance or alcohol abuse problem at some point in their lives. Alcohol and tobacco topped the list of nonmedical substances abused by survey participants. Substance and alcohol abuse are a concern for senior health because of possible interactions with prescription medications, their impact on overall health, and the increased senior health risks, such as falls, associated with intoxication.

Obesity
About 40 percent of adults 65 to 74 years old are obese, although that proportion drops somewhat after age 75, to 27.8 percent. Obesity is an important senior health risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer -- chronic conditions that impact quality of life. It can also be a signal that an older adult isn’t as active or mobile as he or she once was.

Depression
About 16 percent of women over age 65 and 11 percent of men of that age report symptoms that suggest clinical depression, a threat to senior health. Depression appears to become more common as people age. In addition to treatment with medication and therapy to improve mood, possible solutions to improve senior living might be to increase physical activity -- only 11 percent of seniors meet national recommendations for exercise -- or to interact more socially -- seniors report spending just 8 to 11 percent of their free time with family and friends.

Oral Health
Healthy teeth and gums are important not just for a pretty smile and easy eating, but also for overall senior health. According to the CDC, 25 percent of women and 24 percent of men over 65 have no natural teeth. As you age, your mouth tends to become dryer and cavities are more difficult to prevent, so proper oral health care, including regular dental checkups, should be a senior health care priority, Dr. Wei said.


Poverty
About 9 percent of adults over 65 are living in poverty. Older women are slightly more likely than men to be living in poverty, and single older adults are also significantly more likely to live alone with fewer resources. Poverty affects senior health if you're unable to afford doctor visits, medication for chronic conditions, and other essential senior health care needs.

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