Why are Elderly more prone to Non-Communicable Diseases?

 Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are diseases that last for a long duration and are also known as chronic diseases. They are caused due to a variety of factors including physiological, behavioural, environmental and genetic reasons. It is alarmingly to note that over seventy percent of deaths globally are a consequence of NCDs. These diseases largely attack the elderly population especially in the less developed and developing countries.

The major NCDs include cancer, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes and chronic respiratory problems which results in a lot of suffering and also may interfere in normal living by causing disabilities. Hypertension among the elderly is also common and is a strong risk factor for life-threatening diseases like heart attacks and strokes. It is also to be noted that most of the older adults suffer from more than these chronic conditions usually and may lack the financial resources for taking treatment and meeting the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

With the growing number of seniors with NCDs, health systems are getting crippled and challenged by the demands of expensive and complicated care. Therefore chronic disease management is the need of the hour. That helps in focusing on effective care outcomes, early diagnosis and prevention techniques and can lead to healthy aging and lower treatment costs.    

NCDs and chronic conditions can also result in severe and quick impairments like hip fractures and stroke attacks. Additionally, NCDs cause progressive disabilities that slowly inhibit the elders from being independent and doing their routine activities. Hence, they must maintain the health to retain freedom, security and continue to be productive after retirement.

Home healthcare for seniors can beneficial for such elders as it helps them to lead a good lifestyle and provides timely interventions to reduce the impact. Facilities of nursing care for elderly  patients are also available to provide assistance in daily living activities and take care of medical requirements in case the older people face difficulties and constraints that create barriers to proper self-care.

Risk Factors for NCDs

The risk factors of NCDs may be classified as

Behavioural

·        Tobacco consumption

·        Excessive intake of salt or sodium

·        Insufficient exercise and physical activity

·        Alcohol abuse

Metabolic

·        Increased blood pressure

·        Obesity and overweight problems

·        Raised blood glucose levels or hyperglycemia

·        High lipid levels or hyperlipidemia (both cholesterol and triglycerides)

Socio-Economic

·        Poverty

·        Limited access to healthcare facilities

·        Shortage of clinical resources and medical personnel

·        Exposure to toxic substances

·        Malnutrition and unhealthy dietary practices

Control and Prevention of NCDs

All types of NCDs may be largely controlled and avoided by establishing a comprehensive approach that integrates various sectors like healthcare, finance, transportation, agriculture, pharmaceutical, education and planning with a unified purpose. The primary goal of this integration is to make collaborative efforts that can reduce the associated risks of NCDs and develop effective methodologies to control and prevent them.

Some measures that may be recommended in this regard are

·     Facilitate early detection, screening and treatment.

·      Provide access to palliative care particularly to the older adults in need.

·   Improve living standards of the masses by ensuring proper food, clothing, shelter, better hygiene and waste management.

·   Establish primary healthcare centres to ensure reliable and quick access to care to strengthen early intervention and timely treatment.

·     Make excellent economic investments to eliminate the need for expensive treatment.

·   Conduct periodic free health campaigns, immunization programmes and educational sessions for increasing awareness amongst the elders.

·    Encourage seniors to lead a healthy lifestyle by consuming a balanced and nutritious diet, doing regular exercise, maintain good habits and get periodic medical check-ups.

·    Create social support groups to prevent sedentary lifestyles, isolation and depression in elders as they tend to neglect their health and well-being making their bodies more vulnerable to NCDs.

Thus a harmonized and holistic approach can reduce the threat of NCDs in the ever-growing elderly population and make aging a blissful journey!