The Health Impacts of Aging - World Health Organization
A member of the American Academy of Family Practice, Gregory Tapson, MD, is the owner of a small private practice in Carmel, California. Among Gregory Tapson’s areas of professional focus is geriatrics; he regularly provides care to seniors in a retirement home.
The rate of population aging is faster today than it ever was in the past. This presents a number of health challenges. Primarily, aging is a biological process caused by accumulated cellular and molecular damage that occurs throughout the body over a person’s lifetime. The damage leads to reduced physical and mental capacity and an increased risk of developing illnesses. Some of the common conditions plaguing seniors include hearing loss, osteoarthritis, pulmonary disease, dementia, depression, and diabetes.
Aside from illness, accumulated molecular and cellular damage can lead to complex health states that are not distinct diseases on their own. For example, seniors are more likely to have frail bones, urinary incontinence, and pressure ulcers. These are called geriatric syndromes.
Overall, the physical changes that occur in old age affect people differently. Some 70-year-old seniors have good health while others are sick and frail. There are a number of reasons for this, from physical activity to genetics. Regardless, all seniors need a supportive environment that incorporates medical care in order to age healthily.
The rate of population aging is faster today than it ever was in the past. This presents a number of health challenges. Primarily, aging is a biological process caused by accumulated cellular and molecular damage that occurs throughout the body over a person’s lifetime. The damage leads to reduced physical and mental capacity and an increased risk of developing illnesses. Some of the common conditions plaguing seniors include hearing loss, osteoarthritis, pulmonary disease, dementia, depression, and diabetes.
Aside from illness, accumulated molecular and cellular damage can lead to complex health states that are not distinct diseases on their own. For example, seniors are more likely to have frail bones, urinary incontinence, and pressure ulcers. These are called geriatric syndromes.
Overall, the physical changes that occur in old age affect people differently. Some 70-year-old seniors have good health while others are sick and frail. There are a number of reasons for this, from physical activity to genetics. Regardless, all seniors need a supportive environment that incorporates medical care in order to age healthily.
