Health Issues in Elderly Italians: Osteoarthritis, Hypertension, Lumbar & Cervical Problem, Appunti di Giornalismo

Scarica Health Issues in Elderly Italians: Osteoarthritis, Hypertension, Lumbar & Cervical Problem e più Appunti in PDF di Giornalismo solo su Docsity! So, the most common pathologies in Italy in older people are: 1. Osteoarthritis (47.6%) = that is the most common form of arthritis. Some people call it degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis. It occurs most frequently in the hands, hips, and knees. With OA, the cartilage within a joint begins to break down and the underlying bone begins to change. These changes usually develop slowly and get worse over time. OA can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling. In some cases it also causes reduced function and disability; some people are no longer able to do daily tasks or work. 2. Then we have Hypertension (47%) = that is blood pressure that is higher than normal. The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. 3. At the third place we have lumbar (31.5%) and cervical (28.7%) pathology = lumbar refers to the pain localized in the lumbar and sacroiliac region and can radiate to the buttocks and back of the thigh. While, cervical refers to pain referring to the neck or base of the neck that can extend to the shoulders or arms to the elbows 4. Then hyperlipidemia (24.7%) = is an excess of lipids or fats in your blood 5. At five, heart disease (19.3%) = the most common ischemic heart disease, caused by narrowed heart arteries. 6. And then, diabetes (16.8%) = your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. They are the first diseases in the ranking for both genders. Bladder control problems follow for men (12%), and depression (15%), allergies (14.1%) and urinary incontinence problems (13.7%) for women. Furthermore, in Italy, it is estimated that in 2019 senile dementia and Alzheimer's affect about 600 thousand people among the over 65 living in the family, a total of 4.2% of the elderly. While, the most common mental pathology is depression, associated with severe chronic anxiety for almost half of the elderly. In 2019, 11.3% of the elderly suffer from depression. The gender gap is clear: among men the share is 6.7%, among women it doubles to 14.9%. The elderly with anxious-depressive disorders are about 4 million with a strong disadvantage for women. Furthermore, the coexistence of anxious- depressive disorders with other chronic pathologies is very frequent.