Older Persons' Health
(Data are for the U.S.)
Population
- Number of residents age 65 and over: 37.3 million (2006)
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 1
Life expectancy
- Men at 65 years: 17.2 years (2005)
- Women at 65 years: 20.0 years (2005)
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 26
Health status
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over in fair or poor health: 25% (2006)
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 60
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over with activity limitation caused by chronic health conditions: 33% (2006)
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 58
Health risk factors
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons who currently smoke cigarettes (2006)
- Men age 65 and over: 13%
- Women age 65 and over: 8.3%
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 63
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons who are overweight (2003-2006)
- Men age 65-74: 78%
- Men age 75 and over: 66%
- Women age 65-74: 71%
- Women age 75 and over: 63%
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 75
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with diagnosed diabetes
- Age 65-74: 20%
- Age 75 and over: 18%
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with hypertension (2003-2006)
- Men age 65-74 years: 64%
- Men age 75 and over: 65%
- Women age 65-74: 71%
- Women age 75 and over: 80%
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 71
Access to health care
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons without a usual place of care
- Age 65-74: 4.4%
- Age 75 and over: 2.7%
Health care utilization
Ambulatory care
- Number of visits to physician offices by persons age 65 and over: 229.8 million
Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Summary, Table 3
- Number of visits to hospital outpatient departments by persons age 65 and over: 16.5 million
Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Outpatient Department Summary, Table 1
- Number of visits to hospital emergency departments by persons age 65 and over: 17.2 million
Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Emergency Department Summary, Table 2
Hospital inpatient care
- Number of discharges from nonfederal short-stay hospitals aged 65 and over: 13.1 million
- Average length of stay in nonfederal short-stay hospitals by persons age 65 and over: 5.5 days
Source: 2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey, Table 1
Nursing home care
- Number of nursing home residents age 65 and over: 1.3 million (2004)
- Nursing home residents per 1,000 persons age 65 and over: 36 (2004)
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 107
Home health care
- Current patients per 10,000 persons age 65 and over: 277 (2000)
Source: Health, United States, 2005, Table 94
Hospice care
- Current patients per 10,000 persons age 65 and over: 25 (2000)
Source: Health, United States, 2005, Table 95
Dental care
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over with a dental visit in the past year: 58% (2006)
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 96
Preventive care
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who ever had a pneumococcal vaccination: 58% (2007)
- Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who had an influenza vaccination in the past 12 months: 67% (2007)
- Percent of noninstitutionalized women age 65 and over who had a mammogram in the past 2 years: 64% (2005)
Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 89
Mortality
- Number of deaths of persons age 65 and over: 1,755,669
- Deaths per 100,000 population: 4,837.4
- Number of deaths for leading causes of death of persons age 65 and over:
- Heart disease: 533,302
- Cancer: 385,847
- Stroke: 130,538
Source: Deaths: Leading Causes for 2004, Table 1
More data
- Health, United States, trend Tables with data on older population age 65 years and over
- National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Summary
- National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Outpatient Department Summary
- National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Emergency Department Summary
- Early Release of Selected Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey
- Health Data Interactive
- Deaths: Leading Causes for 2004
- Summary Health Statistics for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey 2007
- Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2007
- 2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey
Contact Us:
- National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Rd
Hyattsville, MD 20782 - 1 (800) 232-4636
- cdcinfo@cdc.gov