Most Common Health Issues for People Over 60

From new medical tests and preventive screenings to increased check-up frequency, things change for men and women when they turn 60, a time when most people can start encountering health issues that weren't really a concern before. With virtually every ailment on this list, early detection can mean the difference between a health-related bump in the road or a full-blown crisis. Once you know what you're up against, you can learn more about the symptoms and warning signs and know what to expect in case of a diagnosis.  

Related: Reduce Your Health Care Costs With These Expert Tips for Seniors

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of older Americans, but that isn't surprising. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans overall, across both genders and virtually all racial and ethnic groups. In the U.S., heart disease is public enemy No. 1, and while all demographics are vulnerable, age brings increased risk. In all, 1 death in 5 can be traced to heart disease for a total of nearly 700,000 fatalities a year and a heart attack every 40 seconds in America.

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According to the CDC, cancer is the No. 2 leading cause of death in older Americans, behind only heart disease. SeniorCaring.org reports that the cancers most likely to affect people over the age of 60 are lung cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. You're much more likely to survive these kinds of cancers if they're detected early, so it's critical for anyone over 60 to know the signs and symptoms.

The year 2020 brought a new health threat to U.S. seniors in the form of COVID-19. The elderly made up more than 90% of the COVID-19 deaths in 2022, according to ABC News. Underlying medical conditions like chronic heart or lung disease and weakened immune systems put seniors at greater risk of serious illness and death. Being vaccinated lessens the risk of serious illness, and, with some effort, it's still possible to get new updated vaccines for free.

Chronic lower respiratory diseases, like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, are another leading cause of death among older Americans. More than 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with the two combined ailments — commonly called COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) — which can often be difficult to tell apart. There is no cure for COPD, which degrades the lungs' ability to deliver oxygen to the body. Smoking and pollution are the leading causes.

Strokes are the most common type of cerebrovascular diseases, which the CDC ranks as another leading cause of death for the older adults. Those who do survive often suffer permanent damage once the brain is denied oxygen through the onset of a stroke, aneurysm, or similar event.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, and it attacks memory, behavior, and thinking. As the disease progresses, symptoms get worse, and sufferers commonly have difficulty performing even the most basic tasks. Although the vast majority of sufferers are over the age of 65, hundreds of thousands of Americans are afflicted with early-onset Alzheimer's, which strikes younger patients.  

Related: What You Need to Know About Dementia and Alzheimer's

Diabetes also ranks high among the diseases most likely to be deadly to older Americans. There are two main types of diabetes, but both affect the body's ability to regulate sugar and both are associated with a wide range of related health issues. A full 95% of diabetics suffer from type 2 diabetes. Since many of the much rarer type 1 diagnoses are in children, Americans over the age of 60 are far more likely than even the general population to suffer from type 2.  

The most at-risk group for fatal cases of pneumonia and the flu consists of older Americans ages 55-90, with risk increasing substantially as folks get older. The CDC lists the two combined contagious illnesses as among the top 10 causes of death for older Americans.

Kidney disease, which is much more common in older Americans, is another leading killer of persons in the older demographic. There are many possible causes and symptoms, but if left untreated, the diagnosis is rarely positive. The good news is that kidney disease is often treatable and can usually be detected with simple blood or urine tests.

Older Americans are also much more likely to deal with blood infections than they probably would have been in younger years. The problem with blood infections is that they can be caused by a number of primary conditions, including like urinary tract infections, lung infections, skin infections or staph, E. coli, and strep.

Just because it's not a fatal health issue for seniors doesn't mean it's not something that you won't have to contend with after 60. Much more than just nagging joint pain, arthritis can be crippling, with one in four Americans suffering from severe joint damage caused by the condition. Osteoarthritis is the most common form, but related conditions include gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Just 7.1% of 18-44 year olds suffer from arthritis, but about half of those ages 65 and up are burdened with one form of the condition or another. By 2025, there are expected to be 67 million diagnosed cases.

Like heart disease, the first entry on our list of common health issues facing older Americans, obesity is found in epidemic levels across both genders and most racial and ethnic groups. The condition is actually directly related to heart disease, as well as to diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, and just about every other ailment mentioned here. According to the CDC, a full 41% of adults over 60 are obese. 

Related: Why It's Harder to Lose Weight After 50 and What To Do About It

When it comes to high blood pressure, the good news, according to the CDC, is that more and more adults over 60 are aware of the risks and are seeking treatment — but the risks themselves haven't changed. Eight out of 10 stroke victims have high blood pressure, as do seven out of 10 heart attack victims. High blood pressure increases the risk of chronic heart failure and kidney disease, as well. In total, high blood pressure was a contributing factor in 410,000 deaths in 2014 alone — that's 1,100 people a day.

Some 54 million Americans have osteoporosis or low bone mass, which diminishes bone mass and greatly increases the likelihood of fractures. Women are far more likely than men to suffer from the disease, and the likelihood of being diagnosed increases dramatically with age — starting at menopause, or around 50 years old.

About 6 million older Americans suffer from "late-life" depression over the age of 65. Senior sufferers, however, are far less likely to get treatment for the condition than the general population. In many cases, symptoms are confused with those of unrelated ailments or as side effects of common medications. Depression in older adults commonly coincides with the onset of other illnesses and is much more common with seniors who suffer from disabilities. Even in mild cases, older Americans who suffer from depression are at greater risk for death from other illnesses.

Related: 7 Common Mental Health Issues Among Seniors

Falls are the leading cause of both nonfatal and fatal injuries among older adults, with 25% of people ages 65 and over suffering from a serious fall every year — that's 29 million bad falls and 3 million emergency room visits. Tens of thousands of older Americans die from falls each year and countless others trace the genesis of chronic health problems to a bad fall.