What are the Common Chronic Diseases of Old Age?

There’s no denying that ageing is an inevitable process as you grow older. But there’s also no denying the fact that you can delay it with a healthy lifestyle. Many chronic diseases occur during old age and although most of them can be attributed to unhealthy living and poor dietary choices, some are inevitable due to your genetics. Let’s take a look at some common chronic diseases of old age.

Everyone’s asking the same question: what are the chronic diseases of old age? Well look no further, we’ve got all the answers you need, right here.

Common Chronic Diseases of Old Age

The chronic diseases of old age are those that can be expected to develop with increasing age and are not due to a specific disease or condition. Chronic illnesses do not go away. They can’t be cured, but they can be treated.

Here are some of the most common chronic diseases of old age:

Arthritis:

This is the inflammation of one or more joints in the body. The most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Heart Disease:

This includes high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease (coronary artery disease), stroke and heart failure. It’s also called a cardiovascular disease because it affects the heart and circulatory system.

Diabetes mellitus (Type 2):

This is a condition where your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly to control blood sugar levels. Managing diabetes means eating healthy foods and exercising regularly.

Gastrointestinal disorders:

These include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which affect your digestive tract; diverticulitis, a condition in which pouches inside the intestine become inflamed; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes pain and cramping in your lower abdomen; and inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis

Cancer:

Cancer is another major cause of death in older adults particularly cancers affecting the lungs, colon/rectum, prostate gland, stomach and pancreas. While survival rates for cancers diagnosed at younger ages have improved over recent decades, survival rates for elderly patients remain poor compared with those diagnosed when younger due to multiple factors including a stage at diagnosis and treatment options available to them in this age group.