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Set your own course to thrive after 55
COMMUNICATOR Vol. 25, No. 2
March/April 2017
A Management Mentality
Delaware County offers a variety of resources for those want to manage—and even prevent—chronic disease Jeff Robinson, Editor, My Communicator Here’s a riddle for you: The more you have, the less you want. And ideally, you’d never have any. What are they? The answer? Chronic diseases, which are among the leading causes of death year after year and, in many cases, are preventable. The National Council of Aging (NCOA) lists the top 10 common chronic conditions for ages 65 and over: high blood pressure; high cholesterol; heart disease; diabetes; kidney disease; heart failure; depression; Alzheimer’s disease and dementia; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cancer, obesity, and osteoporosis also are common, costly, and chronic health problems in the United States. About 80 percent of older adults have at least one of these, according to the NCOA, and 68 percent have at least two. In recent years, seven of the top 10 causes of death were chronic diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) chronic disease overview (www.cdc.gov/ chronicdisease/overview/). Two of those—heart disease and cancer— together accounted for nearly 48 percent of all deaths. Information on chronic disease on the AARP website (www.aarp.org) attributes the rise in chronic disease in recent years to a variety of factors, including the aging of the population, longer life expectancies due to advancements in medical care, and changes in lifestyle that could help lead to chronic conditions. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20...
People with chronic disease who learn how to manage their symptoms can improve their quality of life and reduce their health care costs. Learn more in the article, “Chronic Illness Needs Active Management,” on page 6.
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