|
September
2005 is Healthy Aging Month |
| |
|
|
More Americans
are living longer, and the proportion of the U.S. population that is
age 65 or older is growing rapidly.1 According to the National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), there were 35.0 million
Americans ages 65 and over in 2000.2 By 2030, the number of
older Americans will have doubled to 70 million, or one in
every five Americans.3 In addition, the seniors of the future
will be even more racially and ethnically diverse than today’s
seniors.4 |
|
Although the
risk for disease and disability clearly increases with age, poor
health is not an inevitable consequence of aging. People with a
healthy lifestyle (i.e., people who get regular exercise, avoid
tobacco use, and eat healthily) have half the risk for disability of
those who do not have a healthy lifestyle.5 |
|
|
|
Top
of Page |
|
EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT HEALTH DISPARITIES |
| |
|
Racial and Ethnic |
| |
 |
Non-Hispanic
whites comprise 83.1% of Americans ages 65 and over; this compares
to 68.9% of Americans of all ages.6 By 2050, those proportions
are projected to be substantially different: 64% of the older
population is expected to be non-Hispanic white, 16% Hispanic, 12%
non-Hispanic black, and 7% non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander,
with the non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native populations
remaining at less than 1%.7 |
| |
|
During 1994 to
1996, 72.2% of Americans ages 65 and over reported their health as
good, very good, or excellent. Among non-Hispanic whites, 74.0%
reported good to excellent health, compared to 64.9% of
Hispanics/Latinos and 58.4% of non-Hispanic blacks.8 |
| |
|
Influenza
vaccination coverage among adults 65 years of age and over is 68%
for whites, 48% for African Americans, and 54% for Hispanics. The
gap for Pneumococcal vaccination coverage among ethnic groups is
even wider, with 60% for whites, 38% for African Americans, and 36%
for Hispanics.9 |
| |
|
Disabilities and Chronic Conditions |
| |
|
Falls are the
most common cause of injuries to older adults. More than one-third
of adults ages 65 and over fall each year, and of those who fall,
20%–30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that decrease mobility
and independence.4 |
| |
|
Older Americans
are at greater risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney
disease and arthritis compared to their younger counterparts (see
chart below). |
|
Age-adjusted
percentages of selected diseases and conditions among persons 18
years of age and over:
United States, 2003 |
| |
All Adults
Ages 18+ |
Ages 65-74 |
Ages 75+ |
|
Heart disease (all types) |
11.2 |
27.4 |
36.1 |
Cancer
(any type |
6.6 |
18.0 |
21.6 |
|
Diabetes |
6.7 |
17.9 |
15.8 |
|
Kidney disease |
1.4 |
3.0 |
4.3 |
|
Arthritis |
21.5 |
46.2 |
51.9 |
|
|
Source:
CDC, NCHS, Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National
Health Interview Survey, 2003 |
| |
|
Gender |
| |
|
During 1999-2002, females ages 75 and over
were 1.2 times more likely than males in the same age groups to have
high blood pressure (females: 82.8%, males: 68.4%).10 |
| |
|
During 1999-2002, females ages 75 and over
were 2.6 times more likely than males in the same age group to have
high serum cholesterol (defined as greater than or equal to 240 mg/dL)
(females: 26.5%, males: 10.2%). Females ages 75 and over had
average cholesterol that was 22 points higher than males in the same
age group (females: 217, males: 195).11 |
| |
|
During 1999-2002, males ages 75 and over
were 1.1 times more likely to be overweight (defined as body mass
index [BMI] greater than or equal to 25) than females in the same
age group (males: 67.4%, females: 59.9%). During the same years,
females ages 75 and over were 1.3 times more likely to be obese
(defined as BMI greater than or equal to 30) than males in the same
age group (females: 23.6%, males: 18.0%).12 |
| |
|
During 2001-2002, females ages 65 and over
were 1.2 times more likely to visit hospital emergency departments
due to unintentional injuries than males in the same age group
(females: 1019.8 per 10,000, males: 844.3 per 10,000).13 |
| |
|
Socio-Economic Status |
| |
|
In 2000, near poor and nonpoor females
ages 65 and over were 1.3 times more likely to get a mammogram than
poor women (near and nonpoor: 69.9%, poor: 54.8%). Females in
the same age group with a high school diploma or GED, or some
college were 1.3 times more likely to get a mammogram than women
with no high school diploma or GED (high school or GED: 72.0%, some
college: 74.1%, no diploma or GED: 57.5%).14 |
| |
|
In 2000, near poor and nonpoor females
ages 65 and over were 1.2 times more likely to get a Pap test than
poor women (near and nonpoor: 66.2%, poor: 53.9%). Females in the
same age group with a high school diploma or GED (67.0%), or some
college (69.8%) were 1.2 times more likely to get a Pap test than
women with no high school diploma or GED (high school or GED: 67.0%,
some college: 69.8%, no diploma or GED: 56.7%).15 |
|
Top
of Page |
|
PROMISING INTERVENTION STRATEGIES |
| |
|
Poor health and
loss of independence are not inevitable consequences of
aging. The following strategies have proven effective in promoting
the health of older adults: |
| |
|
Healthy lifestyles. Research has shown
that healthy lifestyles are more influential than genetic factors in
helping older people avoid the deterioration traditionally
associated with aging. |
| |
|
Early detection of diseases. Screening to
detect chronic diseases early in their course, when they are most
treatable, can save many lives; however, many older adults have not
had recommended screenings. |
| |
|
Immunizations. Immunizations reduce a
person’s risk for hospitalization and death from these diseases. Yet
in 2002, 32% of Americans aged 65 or older had not had a recent flu
shot, and 37% had never received a pneumonia vaccine. |
| |
|
Injury prevention. Removing tripping
hazards in the home and installing grab bars are simple measures
that can greatly reduce older Americans’ risk for falls and
fractures. |
| |
|
Self-management techniques. Programs to
teach older Americans self-management techniques can reduce both the
pain and costs of chronic disease.4 |
|
Top
of Page |
|
PROGRAMS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| |
|
Poor health and
loss of independence are not inevitable consequences of
aging. The following strategies have proven effective in promoting
the health of older adults: |
| |
|
To promote healthy aging, CDC supported
programs at the American Society for the Aging, the National Council
on the Aging, the Institute for the Future of Aging Services, the
National Safety Council, and the American Association of Active
Lifestyles and Fitness. Accomplishments include |
| |
 |
Increased availability of health-related information on older adults
for health professionals and for other professionals who specialize
in age-related issues; |
| |
|
Enhanced efforts to increase physical activity and reduce
fall-related injuries; and |
| |
|
Strengthened collaboration on aging-related issues throughout the
public health and aging-related networks. |
| |
|
CDC supported the Prevention Research
Centers’ Healthy Aging Network, a unique group of academic
institutions that conduct prevention research with a specific focus
on the development and dissemination of community-based strategies
to promote health and prevent disease and injury among older adults. |
| |
|
MMWR’s Special Series on Public Health
and Aging is the first series of articles by a variety of CDC
programs that highlight health issues related to aging and discuss
the health and economic effect of a rapidly aging population. In
addition to dissemination through the standard MMWR distribution
lists, these articles were widely disseminated to the public health
and aging networks through CDC’s Healthy Aging list-serve, CDC’s Web
site on aging, partners’ newsletters, and multiple conference
presentations. |
| |
|
CDC has supported 24 state health
department and state unit on aging collaboratives to implement
projects designed to promote health and prevent disease among older
adults. This initiative, the State-Based Examples of Network
Innovation, Opportunity and Replication or SENIOR grants, jointly
funded with the Administration on Aging and administered through the
Chronic Disease Directors and the National Association of State
Units on Aging, addresses such topics as physical activity,
increased use of clinical preventive services, chronic disease
self-management, and oral health promotion. |
| |
|
In collaboration with the Center for the
Advancement of Health, CDC convened the surveillance summit “Making
Health Count for Older Americans.” The summit brought together a
diverse group of leaders in public health and aging to discuss the
utility and design of a report card on elder health. As a result,
CDC has partnered with the Merck Institute of Aging and Health and
the Gerontological Society of America to create an easily referenced
report,
the State of Aging and Health in America, 2004, that includes key health indicators for older
adults, national and state aging-related data, calls to action, and a narrative on
critical health issues for older adults.16 |
|
Top
of Page |
| FOR MORE INFORMATION |
| |
|
| |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
| |
|
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(NCCDPHP) |
| |
|
|
Healthy Aging |
| |
|
|
Health Statistics/Research |
| |
|
|
The State of Aging and Health in America 2004 |
| |
|
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) |
| |
|
|
Aging Activities |
| |
|
|
NCHS Data on Older Adult Health |
| |
|
|
Older Persons’ Health |
| |
Administration on Aging (AoA) |
| |
|
Eliminating Health Disparities |
| |
|
Fact Sheets |
| |
|
|
American
Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians |
| |
|
|
Serving Our Hispanic Elders |
| |
|
Online Statistical Data on the Aging |
| |
|
|
Rural Aging |
| |
Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) |
| |
|
Improving the Health and Health Care of Older Americans: A Report of the
AHRQ Task Force on Aging |
| |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
| |
|
National Institute on Aging (NIA) |
| |
|
|
Review of Minority Aging Research at the NIA |
| |
|
Medline Plus: Seniors’ Health Issues |
| |
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| |
|
Aging Initiative |
| |
Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics |
| |
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) |
| |
|
FDA and AoA Focus Disease Prevention Initiative Toward Older Hispanic
Americans |
| |
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) |
| |
|
Matrix: Services for Older Adults |
| |
U.S. Census Bureau |
| |
|
The 65 Years and Over Population: 2000 |
| |
American Association of Active Lifestyles and Fitness |
| |
American Association of Retired People (AARP) |
| |
The American Geriatrics Society |
| |
American Society on Aging |
| |
Institute for the Future of Aging Services |
| |
The National Council on the Aging |
|
Top
of Page |
