Does anyone who gets old will get at least one or more chronic disease?

[kenny1999]

I have come across many elderly, and I have never, ever heard one of them saying that they are free of all of the common chronic disease e.g. heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure etc.

Except that I once met one who looked so gorgeous, sporty, and healthy with good body shape at her age (e.g. probably around 65 and she was obviously very active in sports and exercises for a long time) and she said she didn't have any disease but I finally figured out that she was still diagnosed with high blood pressure, it was only because she didn't see it as a problem or she didn't even want to mention about it.

I start to wonder if it's just almost going to be impossible to be free of those common chronic disease when one gets old enough even if they eat healthily and exercise regularly during their younger age? The difference is only about one disease or two or three but never none? It's just impossible to be free of ALL of them?

Edited August 26, 2022 by kenny1999

[TheVat]

There are many minor conditions that are almost inescapable.  Almost everyone over 65 starts to have some lactose intolerance, even if they didn't when younger.  Almost everyone has some drop in natural melatonin production, which means needing to take more care to get enough sleep.  Some loss of muscle mass is almost inevitable, which affects strength and resistance to cold.  The immune system declines (with considerable variation between individuals) and recovery from illness is slower.  Joints wear out, no matter how robust your overall health, and will need some extra attention.  

Other changes are common in western societies but less common in low tech pastoral societies where people do physical labor throughout life and eat less processed food and breathe less nasty city air, e.g.  high blood pressure, acid reflux disease, diabetes, constipation, atherosclerosis, etc.  So...walk everywhere, use your muscles, do chores minimizing machinery assist, eat lots of plants, pour on the olive oil and fish oil, do core strength exercises, and try to avoid biking behind a bus.  

 

[OldChemE]

To the first question:  a qualified yes:  anyone who gets old will develop something, inasmuch as there has to be some step between healthy and dead.  But-- luck and healthy habits can help.  I can speak to this a little because at about the age of 35 I determined that aspirin did not seem to have any side effects for me, and I was a runner (which puts a lot of load on knees), so from the age of 35 to 75 I experimented with taking two full size aspiring with food every day of my life.  The purpose being to prevent inflammation and all the many health issues that inflammation has been linked to.  At 75 I cut back somewhat in order to avoid gout (aspirin tends to promote gout).  The experiment is still continuing as I am only 76 and in good health and have never experienced inflammatory issues such as arthritis.  My cholesterol has begin to rise and I am taking meds for that.  The only disease of old age I have encountered is prostate cancer, which killed both my father and grandfather-- so I had that removed the instant the PSA started rising.  That was over 9 years ago and has not returned.  Luck and lifestyle do help-- but sooner or later something will bring things to an end.

[Peterkin]

5 hours ago, kenny1999 said:

It's just impossible to be free of ALL of them?

Not impossible. I suppose a few 100+year-olds fall down stairs, crash cars or get murdered. But certainly rare. Of course, "old" is an elastic concept. If you have nothing beyond a little hypertension at 65, that says nothing about the bone loss or kidney stones you may have at 66.  Time passes and life takes takes its toll. Most of us have to put up with some inconveniences.

[zapatos]

My great grandmother died at at age 106. I remember her 100th birthday party when she danced to a polka. We were told that at the time of her death she was the only person residing in the nursing home who was on no medication. I was too young at the time to really be aware of the details of her health, but it seemed as if she had no chronic diseases.