As your parents begin to age it is important to look out for certain chronic diseases that can manifest and worsen over time. Some of these diseases can be avoided before they advance to an elderly age, but many of them started several years ago and now need to be managed for optimal outcome.

We are going to look at some common chronic diseases and talk about how they can become debilitating if they are not well managed, and also what are the best ways to manage them. As you read through this, if you know that your parent or loved one has any of these diseases it’s important to speak with them about it and see how they are managing it. This can be a really sensitive topic as some of our parents may not want to admit that they have to make major changes in their life oh, and that is completely normal.

However it’s still essential that we bring it to their attention and that we have an open conversation about it because change is needs to happen whether they want them to or not. It makes it easier if they are on board, so it is best to work with them, but they may need a little persuasion and education to help them help themselves.

Diabetes

More than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes. The worrisome part about this statistic is that about 25% of them don’t even know that they have it. Almost a hundred million US adults have prediabetes and 90% of them don’t know they haven’t either. Prediabetes is a risk for type 2 diabetes as well as obesity, being older, being less active, and any other negative health behaviors like drinking, smoking, etc.

Diabetes comes in two types. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that is normally discovered in childhood or young adulthood. Type 2 diabetes is an acquired disease that comes from a reduced sensitivity to insulin, which can lead to a high amount of sugar in the blood, and a low amount of sugar actually getting into the tissues. Without sugar being able to get into the tissues, the body thinks that it has no energy to be able to make the other important molecules and carry out its basic functions.

Although it is possible to put diabetes in remission, it is more likely to manage it through good behaviors and lifestyle changes. As an older adults management gets harder because there are often other comorbidities and geriatric issues that can make it harder to take care of diabetes. The most important starting point for the elderly with diabetes is a lifestyle modification.

Very restricted diets are not recommended, however counseling them to avoid large carbohydrate load at one meal can reduce any sort of glycemic crisis. Exercise and activity is also important, and encouraging them to be more active can also be a protective factor against worsening diabetes. It’s also really important that they work with several professionals including an endocrinologist, primary care physician, and any other health professions that can guide you in the right direction.

Hypertension

Hypertension is defined as having a high blood pressure. Traditionally 120/80  was considered to be the normal measurement for blood pressure and anything above that would be considered pre-hypertensive or hypertensive. However everyone’s body is different and those who have a higher baseline may not actually be hypertensive just because their blood pressure is higher than 120 / 80. However it is important to talk with your doctor if your or your parents’ blood pressure does go up from the baseline.

High blood pressure can cause many issues in the body, including cardiac issues, renal issues, and anything else vascular that may manifest into a very dangerous disease. It is important to try and lower blood pressure and keep it within a stable range so  you or your parents can maintain the Integrity of their vascular system for as long as possible. 

You can measure your blood pressure on a regular basis in order to keep track of where you are go where you need to go. If you’re unsure of what your blood pressure is, then you’ll have no idea if you need to improve or maintain what you’re doing.

By lowering your blood pressure you can decrease your risk for stroke. The best ways as an older adult to lower blood pressure is to increase physical activity, eat healthier, and reduce stress. If you smoke or drink try to cut down on anything that can cause inflammation within your body. Also those with chronic kidney disease may also be at risk for hypertension and should try their best to manage their chronic kidney disease through healthy dieting and reduce protein intake. 

Heart disease and stroke

Heart disease, stroke and other heart diseases cause about a third of the deaths in the United States. Key risk factors for cardiovascular disease has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. Being overweight or obese, pre-diabetic, and having an unhealthy diet are also ways to contribute to heart disease.

Heart disease can be either a symptom of another disease or it can be the primary cause of other symptoms you experience in the body. History of a stroke, vascular disorder, or anything else that could change be pumping requirements of your heart can lead to long-term disease. This is why it’s important to recognize your risk and to take action as soon as possible.

 In order to avoid clogged arteries it’s important to try to keep your cholesterol down by eating low cholesterol foods. It’s also important to keep your heart active by staying active and getting adequate exercise. Reduction and diseases like diabetes and hypertension can reduce the risk for muscular damage to both the heart and kidneys, both of which are interconnected so damage to 1 often leads to damage to the other. Any methods you can do, or convince your parents to do, to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke the better.

 This is just a very short list of chronic illnesses that can impact you and your family. If you or your family member have experienced one of these chronic Health disease is to point where it is debilitating then please take a look at our services to see how we can best serve you.