Chronic Diseases Associated with Older Age

Chronic diseases pose a serious burden on older adults. Long-term illness, diminished quality of life, and increased health care costs are all challenges that older adults will face. Many of the chronic diseases that exist in older adults are not completely understood. More research needs to be done to determine risk factors and effective ways to prevent or delay their onset. The major chronic diseases that are seen in older adults include heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Eighty-eight percent of people over the age of 65 have at least one chronic disease. Chronic diseases in older adults represent an important health and economic burden to society due to associated long-term illness, diminished quality of life, and greatly increased health care costs. Although the risk of disease and disability clearly increases with advancing age, poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging (Healthy Aging for Older Adults).

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