What are the most common health problems in the elderly?
We will describe what are the most common health problems in the elderly.
1. Heart disease
The most common cause is ischaemic heart disease (IHD), which involves a narrowing or blockage of the main arteries supplying the heart with blood. Obstruction can develop slowly over time (causing angina), or quickly – as in an acute thrombosis (blood clot) causing a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Underlying conditions include diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, which are also age related.
2. Cerebrovascular disease (causing stroke)
A stroke happens when blood stops flowing in one area of the brain because of a thrombosis (blood clot) in one of the arteries. It is very serious because brain cells deprived of oxygen begin to die very quickly.
There are two types of strokes. The most common is called an ischaemic stroke and is caused by any lack of blood flow to the brain. The second type is called a haemorrhagic stroke and is caused when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds in the brain.
Strokes can cause death or serious disability, depending on the location and severity of the blockage or rupture.
3. High blood pressure (hypertension)
Blood pressure is the force blood exerts on the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. It’s lower when you’re sleeping or are at rest, and higher when you’re stressed or excited—though it tends to rise generally with age.
Again, underlying conditions include diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, which are also age related.
Chronically elevated blood pressure can cause problems for your heart, brain, blood vessels, kidneys, and other systems in the body.
4. Cancer
One of the biggest risk factors for most types of cancer, in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, is age.
5. Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a disorder characterised by high blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes typically begins in people under the age of 30 and causes the body to stop producing insulin.
The far more prevalent Type 2 diabetes becomes more common after age 45 and involves resistance to insulin that causes the body to improperly use glucose.
Both types of diabetes lead to blood sugar levels that are too high; which can lead to serious problems like heart attack, stroke, nerve damage, kidney failure, and blindness.
6. Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
About 1 in 10 people have CKD, i.e. its very common. But (the big BUT). Fortunately in most people, it is mild and more of a risk factor than disease.
Age is the primary risk factor for CKD. In fact CKD is present in 1 out of 2 people over 75 years. In many of these it is really part of the ageing process and not a disease.
7. Parkinson’s disease
Named after the British physician who first described it in the early 1800s, this progressive neurological (brain) disorder causes a tremor, stiffness, and slow movement.
Three-quarters of all Parkinson’s disease cases begin after the age of 60. Men are more likely than women to develop Parkinson’s.
Researchers believe the disease is caused by a combination of genetics and environmental factors, including exposure to toxins. Traumatic brain injury may also play a role.
8. Dementia (including Alzheimer’s Disease)
Characterised by a loss of brain functioning, dementia can manifest as memory loss, mood changes, confusion, difficulty communicating, or poor judgment.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, but a number of other diseases can cause it as well, including:
- Vascular dementia (due to impaired blood flow to the brain)
- Lewy body dementia
- Frontotemporal disorders
- Huntington’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease.
While the incidence of dementia increases with age, it is not considered a natural part of the aging process.
9. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by a reduction of airflow into and out of the lungs; due to inflammation in the airways, thickening of the lining of the lungs, and an over-production of mucus in the air tubes.
COPD is most common in people over 65. The condition cannot be cured, but it can be treated, and, perhaps more importantly, prevented.
The main cause of COPD is chronic exposure to tobacco smoke (either as a primary smoker or second-hand), occupational contaminants, or industrial pollution.
10. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease and the most common form of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis occurs more commonly as people age, and it’s more prevalent in women. Genetics, obesity, and prior joint injury also makes you more susceptible.
Characterised by swelling and pain in the joints, osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but it can be treated with pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory medications, as well as through lifestyle modifications like weight loss if you are overweight, exercise, and physiotherapy.
Surgery may eventually be needed – this includes shoulder, hip and knee replacements. These can be very successful and transforming operations.
11. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is characterised by bone mass loss, which leads to thinning and weakening bones. It gets more common with age, especially in Caucasian and Asian women.
Screening is recommended for all women at the age of 65, or earlier if they have risk factors (like smoking or chronic steroid use). The condition can be treated to prevent fractures.
Regular weight-bearing exercise, eating a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, and not smoking can all help prevent osteoporosis.
12. Cataracts
A cataract is a progressive cloudiness in the lens of your eye, resulting from a number of factors, including age, exposure to ultraviolet light, smoking, and diabetes.
Cataract surgery may be recommended to remove and replace the lens. It can be performed as an outpatient procedure, often in about an hour.
13. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common condition in adults over the age of 50, is the most common cause of blindness in older people. As the macula of the eye progressively deteriorates, so does a person’s ability to see objects clearly in the center of his field of vision, though peripheral vision is usually preserved.
Age, smoking, family history and ethnicity are risk factors. White people are more susceptible than Black people.
14. Hearing loss
Hearing loss is common with advancing age, thanks to the deterioration of tiny hairs within the ear that help process sound. It can lead to changes in hearing, such as having difficulty following a conversation in a noisy area; with certain sounds seeming louder than usual, and voices seeming muffled.
Several factors in addition to age, such as chronic exposure to loud noises, smoking, and genetics, can affect how well you hear as you get older. About 25% of people between the ages of 65 and 74 and 50% of those over 75 have disabling age-related hearing loss.
15. Urinary incontinence
Incontinence is common in women because the pelvic floor muscles, which support the bladder, uterus and large bowel, can be stretched and weakened during childbirth. This can lead to a prolapse (when these organs slip). After menopause, the body stops producing the hormones that help keep the vagina and bladder outlet healthy too.
Incontinence is also often caused by an overactive bladder. As you get older, it’s common to find that your bladder needs emptying more often and gives you less warning. This is a normal part of ageing.
The reason for an overactive bladder is often unknown. Sometimes it happens after a stroke. You can also be prone urge incontinence if you have a condition that affects the nerves linked to the bladder, such as Parkinson’s.
Other common causes of urinary incontinence include:
- Being overweight
- Certain medications
- Enlarged prostate (in men)
- Certain health conditions that impact the brain or nervous system (such as Dementia and Parkinson’s).
How to think about age-related diseases
Aging itself is not a disease. But it is a primary risk factor for these different conditions. That doesn’t mean you will have an age-related disease, it just means you are more likely to experience these conditions as you get older.
Physiological processes like inflammation, environmental exposure to pollutants and radiation (like ultraviolet radiation from the sun), the effects of lifestyle factors like smoking, diet and fitness levels, as well as simple wear and tear, can all accelerate the rate of decline in different people.
Many research projects around the world are underway to determine the effect of age on the human body, to sort out which conditions are an inevitable result of getting older and which can be prevented.
Summary
We have described what are the most common health problems in the elderly. We hope it has been helpful.
Last Reviewed on 5 May 2024