Cardiovascular diseases are widespread across the world, and the United States is not an exception. Among the whole population, the most suffer from it older people due to specific aging factors. Age is strongly connected to the functioning of the heart and people’s quality of life. Besides, several lung diseases occur as people grow old and some of them are preventable, and some are not. In addition to those diseases, some older population suffers from urinary incontinence and its consequences. This paper aims to observe the illnesses that come with aging, its reasons, consequences, and analysis of the possibilities of its appearance and how to prevent them.
The rate of heart disease varies from state to state, but the number of older people affected is still significant. The most considerable cardiovascular prevalence was observed in several Eastern and Midwestern states and the least across the northern Great Plains and Western states (Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases Collaboration, 2018). According to the Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases Collaboration (2018), “New York had the greatest age-standardized prevalence rate for heart failure in 2016 (1319 cases per 100 000 persons), followed by Indiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia, and Ohio (p. 382).” Therefore, the spread of heart diseases depends on the state and might be influenced by the climate and environment.
However, there are also reasons connected to the health-specific lifestyles of the individuals and, most importantly, age. The risk of getting cardiovascular increases with damaging habits such as smoking, low physical activity, and alcohol use. In addition, the crucial role plays an overweight, high level of cholesterol and blood pressure (Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases Collaboration, 2018). Those factors keep affecting people at a greater level as they grow older and experience a lack of energy, physical and emotional power loss, and a lower immune system.
Although cardiovascular diseases are a common phenomenon among the elderly population, older adults can suffer from the lung diseases that appear with aging. One of the most widespread diseases is asthma when the lungs’ airways easily inflame and a person experiences trouble with breathing resulting from smoking (Intermountain Healthcare, 2021). Usually, children are more affected by the diseases, but it can appear as well in the ’60s and more, but it can be prevented and cured with the proper treatment. Tuberculosis is another disease that regularly emerges with aging, which is contagious and can affect the lungs and other parts of the body such as the brain and spine. (Intermountain Healthcare, 2021). Primarily this is a form of pneumonia that influences the lung’s alveoli, and once it was the widespread cause of death, but nowadays, it can be cured in a few months.
Besides all the mentioned health issues, older adults might suffer from urinary incontinence. It is a syndrome when people experience uncontrolled urine leakage, affecting millions of people worldwide of all ages (Pizzol et al., 2021). The consequences of the disses affect the physical and mental well-being and the social life of the individuals. One of the disease’s dangers is that people feel too much shame and inconvenience to turn for medical help, and eventually, it negatively affects their health. People suffering from urinary incontinence may experience anxiety, decreased self-esteem, isolation, and overall mental health deterioration (Pizzol et al., 2021). All of this can be avoided if people recognize the seriousness of the disease and stop underestimating it.
In conclusion, in the process of aging, the population inevitably faces the consequences of a lower immune system, vulnerability to multiple diseases, and consequences of the current and previous lifestyle. Common diseases among older adults are cardiovascular, lung diseases such as asthma and tuberculosis, and urinary incontinence. Although some diseases can be prevented or cured, they are hard to avoid due to the natural aging of the human body and organism. Still, a healthy lifestyle and regular health care can positively impact the situation in older age.
References
Intermountain Healthcare. (2021). The 16 Most Common Respiratory Diseases for Seniors. Web.
Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases Collaboration. (2018). The Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases Among US States, 1990-2016. JAMA Cardiol, 3(5), 375–389. Web.
Pizzol, D., Demurtas, J., Celotto, S., Maggi, S., Smith, L., Angiolelli, G., Trott, M., Yang, L., Veronese, N. (2021). Urinary incontinence and quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 33(1), 25-35. Web.