Bone Disease and Other Risks in Ederly Persons
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that weakens bones, making them more susceptible to fractures. The bone is a living dynamic structure; it is constantly being removed (resorbed) and rebuilt. This maintains normal calcium level in the blood. When the rate of resorption exceeds that of rebuilding over time, osteoporosis results.
The benefit of exercise for osteoporosis has mostly to do with decreasing the risk of falls, probably because balance is improved and/or muscle strength is increased. Research has not yet determined what type of exercise is best for osteoporosis or for how long. There are several groups of people who should consider bone density testing. First, all postmenopausal women below age 65 who have risk factors for osteoporosis, and in general all women aged 65 and older; then, postmenopausal women with fractures, although this is not mandatory because treatment may well be started regardless of bone density; or women with one of the many medical conditions associated with osteoporosis. And finally, women whose decision to use medication might be aided by bone density testing. Because peak bone density is reached at approximately 25 years of age, it is important to build strong bones by that age. Symptoms depend on the location of the fracture. Normal bone is composed of protein, collagen, and calcium, all of which give bone its strength. Bones that are affected by osteoporosis can break (fracture) with relatively minor injury that normally would not cause a bone to fracture.
Aggressive prevention and treatment of osteoporosis can involve medications that work by preventing natural breakdown of bone or medications that promote new bone formation. Osteoporosis can strike at any age, but it is most common in older women. Eighty percent of the people in the United States with osteoporosis are women. One out of every two women and one in four men over age 50 will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis.
Depression is also very common in care homes in Wiltshire nowadays. Depression in bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by mood swings from mania (exaggerated feeling of well-being, energy, and confidence in which a person can lose touch with reality) to depression. With the exception of anxiety, these are probably more prominent risk factors for depression in younger persons than for the elderly. But common risk factors for depression among both elderly and younger persons that are less specifically related to calendar age are insomnia, and pain associated with anxiety.
The six leading risk factors for depression could be tobacco dependence, substance abuse, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive syndrome, panic attacks and alcohol use disorder.
A survey based on data from 55 countries places the bottom of the ‘U-Curve’ of well-being and happiness for all participating countries at age 46.1. As many as 47 of the 55 countries record the peak of misery within the age range 40-55, the exceptions being Brazil, Peru, Puerto Rico and Switzerland where the lowest point is under the age of 40; and France, Israel, Russia and Ukraine where it is above the age of 55.
