In the next few decades, people worldwide can expect to live much longer. And if you make it to 65, data implies that you can potentially live another 20 years. That's the good news. The bad news is that those living another two decades after that age will likely live with at least one chronic condition. But some health factors can help lessen that concern.
The Top 7 Chronic Conditions Older Adults Encounter
- Heart Disease
The costs of the diseases are extremely high, and they put a burden on our health care system. According to the Centers for Disease Control, here's a breakdown of the numbers per chronic condition.
- Heart disease and stroke costs (2010) were $315.4 billion and $193.4 billion of it paid for the direct medical costs. It did not include the costs of nursing home care.
The price of living with a chronic condition is substantial. And if you plan to live well into your 80s, you'll need to circumvent direct and indirect cost of care and try to be in the 39 percent of folks that will NOT need long-term care in their lifetimes. The answer is prevention. The trick to preventing a chronic disease is to be physically active and eat healthy foods. Another good habit to embrace is to manage chronic conditions if you have one or several at a younger age. Here are the seven prevention tips to live better with or without a chronic condition. Follow closely and you can be among the older adults to live past 85 with good or excellent health.
Drop the Junk Food
- Junk food is calorie dense and nutrient poor.
Exercise
- Interval training is tolerated easily in people with heart disease, and it can produce significant benefits.
Brain Health
- Stay mentally active.
Preserve Bone Health
- Avoid bone robbers like smoking, excessive alcohol, drinking colas.
Stay upbeat and avoid misery
- Control stress at all costs to increase resilience and boost healthy-esteem.
Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
- Lose weight.
Avoid Chemical Contact
- Reduce exposure to carcinogens and hormone-disrupting chemicals by filtering your drinking water. And drink lots of it.
The next time you go through the check-out lane in the grocery store, avoid the temptation to pick up candy bars, potato chips, cigarettes, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Start a health revolution and request to have healthy options offered in those lanes instead.
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