Age Related, Health and Disease Co-relation

Research undertaken by the Apollo Hospitals Wellness Company during the period 2005 to 2009, covering 47,745 persons(31,979 males and 15,776 female) to find out the age related health and disease  co-relation in Urban Indians, discovered the following :-

-          The Below 35 year group: were physically the fittest, and were the least overweight, they also had the least stress and suffered the least ailments. However they had the highest levels of association with Smoking and Alcohol.

-          The 35 to 50 year group: suffered the embarrassment of not being the best in any aspect of Health and Lifestyle. However they had a better Nutrition than their younger participants, and also, they smoked less and had a lower Alcohol association. Also they fared better than the above 50 year olds in most aspects including Fitness and ailments, however this group had the highest Overweight and overfat ratios.

-          The Above 50 years age group: had the healthiest diet and the lowest association with Alcohol and Smoking. Were better than the 35-50 year group in weight management, but due to the ravages of age and lifestyle, had the lowest levels of fitness,  the highest levels of stress, the most medical ailments and were at the highest risk of Cardiac Ailments and Cancer.

      The detailed findings upon which the above hypothesis has been based follows:

1.      Nutritional Habits

Findings: The big culprits, with the worst Nutritional habits are the below 35 year olds. The 35-50 year olds have a better diet than the youngsters. But the outright winners are the above 50 years olds, who eat the most fruit and vegetables, have the least fat intake, eat the least sweets and desserts, have the least salted foods and most importantly, consume the least processed fast foods.

2.      Exercise and fitness:

 Findings: Even while the below 35’s are the least active, the sheer benefit of age, makes them the fittest, with the best stamina, strength and flexibility. Thereafter starts the deterioration and the 35-50 year olds, even while being marginally more active than the younger group, are still less physically fit. Unfortunately, even while being the most active, the ravages of age takes its toll on the above 50 years ,who inspite of being active are still the least fit, which only goes to prove, that it is youth  that endows fitness, and even while exercise helps.

3.      Overweight / Overfat :

Findings: Even at 51% overweight and 36% having high body fat, the below 35 age group, has the dubious distinction of being the least overweight and Overfat. In this context, the 35-50 age group are the big offenders being the most overweight and Overfat. The above 50 years old score points by actually losing weight in their older years. The Cardinal rule in weight management is that you should neither be overweight nor overfat and your weight at 65 years should be the same as it was at 25 years. Many of the above 50 years group are moving in the right direction, but the majority of 61% have a long way to go.

4.      Mental Stress

Findings: The finding here are quite confusing. The Below 35 year old, have the highest levels of cumulative stress, also the highest levels of work related Stress. Yet they also have the least stressful personalities, the least Stressful routine, and the best home life. As a consequence, they have the least stress Ailments. Even while the 35-50 years olds have the most stressful personalities, in all factors, their tensions are less than the above 50 years age group. It is in the above 50 year group, that the Stress is the highest in almost all categories especially at home where they suffer the highest financial insecurity and the lowest levels of family support. This added to their older ages and passive personalities increases their stress ailments.

5. Alcohol and Smoking:

 Findings: As expected the youngest age group below 35 years have the highest levels of Association with Smoking, Alcohol and Paan. In the middle years, (35-50 years) one realizes that these habits needs to be dropped and by the age 50 and above, there is a decided change, with the lowest levels of smoking, eating paan and also heavy drinking. Very often an individual both smokes and has alcohol. Here too, it is the below 35’s who have the largest numbers at 17.24%, followed by the 35-50 year olds at 16.94% and reducing to 12.83% is the above 50 age group.

6.      Lifestyle Ailments :

Findings: Almost across the board, we see that as we get older, Lifestyle Ailments increase. The increase is almost uniform, with the lowest levels in the younger age group of below 35 years , increasing in the middle 35-35 years and finally peaking in the older ,above 50 years group, with over 25% having HBP, 16% having Diabetes, 30% having Digestive problems, 34% having Arthritis , 61% wearing spectacles, 13% having sleep problems and 45% on Chronic medication.

7.      Lifestyle Risk Profile:

Findings: The major killer in the world today is our modern Lifestyle; with high fat diets, low levels of physical activity, high levels of stress and dependency on Alcohol and Smoking. These coupled with other factors cumulatively result in the two major killers, the heart attack and cancer. Continuing unhealthy Lifestyles, coupled with the natural process of aging, makes us all susceptible as we age and when we reach age 50 and above, we are the most susceptible to these fatal ailments.

 
Written By:

Prof.Adrian Kennedy