by Alicia M Prater PhD

Created on: January 20, 2008   Last Updated: December 21, 2008

An older population is more likely to require prescription medication, hospital stays, physician visits and monitoring, and dietary supplements in addition to lifestyle changes to reduce risks. Health problems become more common as a person ages because many health concerns involve the deterioration of aging physiological systems within the body, result from the accumulation of lifestyle habits, or are the mental affects of dealing with the aging process.

Some common diseases that are increasing in incidence due to the increased life span of the population are heart disease (including hypertension), cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. Also, as a person ages and their memory begins to fade, in addition to a less efficient digestive system, eating habits may change resulting in malnutrition. Lastly, dealing with the fact that time is passing can lead to depression.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is a common ailment in developed countries. There are many disorders that fall into this category, including hypertension and coronary artery disease. The risk factors for the development of heart disease include smoking, obesity, high fat diet and high cholesterol intake, high sodium intake, and inherited genetic disorders. Many forms of heart disease contribute to or are affected by other forms, resulting in many treatments and preventative measures overlapping.

Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease, is the most common form of heart disease. The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to the outer portion of the heart. They can become clogged over time by cholesterol accumulation resulting in a heart attack. A precursor to a heart attack is often angina, chest pain resulting from the heart muscle straining for oxygen. Cholesterol accumulates in arteries in a natural process, but too high of an intake in addition to risk factors such as smoking contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Aspirin treatment reduces the risk of a heart attack by thinning the blood and allowing it to more easily make it through the smaller arteries. Reducing cholesterol intake, prescription medications that lower LDL-cholesterol, and exercise are used to prevent and treat CAD.

Hypertension is sustained high blood pressure. The current guidelines place anyone with a consistent blood pressure of 140/90 or higher in the category of hypertensive. Having family members with hypertension increases a person's risk of developing the disorder themselves. Essential

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