Common Age-Related Diseases and Conditions

Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, and among the leading causes of death in many other countries.

The most common form is coronary artery disease, which involves a narrowing or blockage of the main arteries supplying the heart with blood. Obstructions can develop over time, or quickly—as in an acute rupture—and cause potentially fatal heart attacks.

Untreated underlying conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol, over time (as one ages, and their occurrence increases with age) contribute to cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease.

Cerebrovascular Disease (Strokes)

A stroke happens when blood stops flowing in one area of the brain because of a disruption in one of the blood vessels. 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 ischemic stroke and is caused by any lack of blood flow to the brain. A blood clot blocking a vessel, or embolic stroke, is one type of ischemic stroke. The second type is called a hemorrhagic stroke and is caused when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds in the brain.

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.

Chronically elevated blood pressure can cause serious problems for your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other systems in the body.

Cancer

One of the biggest risk factors for many types of cancer, in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, is age.

According to the American Cancer Society, 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in people over the age of 55. In Canada, cancer represents the leading cause of death for both men and women.

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder that disrupts the way your body uses glucose, or sugar, from the food it digests. Type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile diabetes) typically begins in people under the age of 30 and causes their bodies 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 process 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.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is on the rise, but the increase appears to have slowed, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Before or after the onset of diabetes, adopting healthier habits such as regular exercise and eating a well-balanced diet, and losing weight if you are overweight can keep blood glucose levels in a normal range and prevent declining health.

Parkinson's Disease

Named after the British physician who first described it in the early 1800s, this progressive neurological disorder causes tremors, stiffness, and halting movement.

Three-quarters of all Parkinson's disease cases begin after the age of 60, though age is only one risk factor. 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. Research suggests traumatic brain injuries may also play a role.

Dementia (Including Alzheimer's Disease)

Characterized 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.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized 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 airborne irritants like tobacco smoke (either as a primary smoker or second-hand), occupational contaminants, or industrial pollution. Cigarette smoking remains the most significant risk factor.

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.

Characterized 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.

Treatments differ depending on which joints are affected, and can include self-management programs, tai chi, topical medications, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy, and steroid injections.

Osteoporosis

Also known as "brittle bone disease," osteoporosis is characterized by bone mass loss, which leads to thinning and weakening bones. It gets more common with age, especially in Caucasian and Asian women as well as those from extreme northern areas, such as Scandinavia, where vitamin D deficiency is common. Having osteopenia, or low bone density, is also a risk factor.

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.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, as many as half of all women over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis, as will 27% of men over 50. Bone breaks like hip fractures are a very serious problem for older adults, resulting in a loss of mobility, and independence. In about a quarter of all cases, death within a year of the injury.

Regular weight-bearing exercise, eating a diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D, and not smoking can all help prevent osteoporosis.

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.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, half of all people over the age of 80 have some kind of cataract or have had cataract surgery. Initially, you may not notice a cataract, but over time vision can become blurred and much reduced.

Cataract surgery may be recommended to remove and replace the lens. Thanks to modern advancements, it can be performed as an outpatient procedure, often in about an hour.

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.

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is common with advancing age, thanks to the deterioration of tiny hairs within your ear that help process sound. It can mean simple changes in hearing, too, such as having difficulty following a conversation in a noisy area, having trouble distinguishing certain consonants (especially in higher-pitched voices), 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.

How to Think About Age-Related Diseases

While aging itself is not a disease, it is a 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.