Common health concerns for seniors

Getting older can bring senior health challenges. By being aware of these common chronic conditions, you can take steps to stave off disease as you age. A public health expert, Madeline Vann, identifies them:

This is probably the number one condition that people 65 or older contend with. Although arthritis can discourage you from being active, it’s important to work with your doctor to develop a personalised activity plan that, along with other treatment, can help maintain senior health.

1. Arthritis: 2. 4. Heart 3. Cancer: Disease:

This remains the leading killer of adults over age 65. As a chronic condition, heart disease affects 37 per cent of men and 26 per cent of women 65 years and older, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on AgingRelated Statistics.

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.

This is the second leading cause of death among people over age 65. If caught early through screenings, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and skin checks, many types of cancer are treatable.

Respiratory Diseases:

Chronic lower respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, are the third most common cause of death among people 65 and older. Although having a chronic respiratory disease increases senior health risks, making you more vulnerable to pneumonia and other infections, getting lung function tests and taking the correct medication, or using oxygen as instructed, will go a long way toward preserving senior health and your quality of life.