What are the preventive measures for geriatric diseases?

The prevention of geriatric diseases has never been started after the age of 60. Lifestyle intervention covering the entire life cycle, targeted chronic disease management and control, and regular health screening are all core prevention categories.

In the past two months, I helped with physical examinations for the elderly at a community health service center. I met 72-year-old Aunt Li. She has consciously controlled her salt intake and climbed mountains three times a week since she was 40 years old. Now her blood pressure and blood lipids are all normal, and she rarely suffers from joint degeneration problems that many elderly people have. Many of her colleagues of the same age have been taking antihypertensive drugs for five or six years, and two of them have suffered from cerebral infarction. The contrast is particularly obvious.

Speaking of this, some people will definitely ask, I didn’t pay attention to maintenance when I was young. Is it too late to prevent it now that I have retired? Really not. Take common osteoporosis as an example. Even if you start drinking a glass of pure milk every day at the age of 60, spend 15 minutes in the sun, and take appropriate vitamin D supplements, you can significantly reduce the risk of falls and fractures.

There is a lot of controversy now about whether to take health supplements to prevent geriatric diseases. Some clinicians believe that as long as the daily diet is balanced and gastrointestinal absorption is OK, there is no need for additional supplements. Some nutrition doctors will also recommend appropriate calcium supplements in view of the slow metabolism and poor nutrient absorption of the elderly. , vitamin D, B vitamins and other basic nutrients, but no matter which view you take, they are opposed to the elderly buying sky-high price health products that are so-called "cancer prevention" and "blood vessel opening". I have met an elderly person who took health products that were said to be able to dissolve blood clots for more than half a year, but his liver function was abnormal, and the gain was not worth the loss.

If you observe more when you go downstairs for a walk, you will know that those elderly people who are willing to move every day, even if they just walk around the community twice and play croquet with their old friends, are generally in much better condition than those who sit at home watching TV and stocking up on health care products every day. Don’t underestimate the effect of walking a few thousand more steps every day and adding less than half a spoonful of salt when cooking. In the long run, the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases can be reduced by several percentage points.

In fact, preventing geriatric diseases for the body is like maintaining an old house that has been lived in for decades. Don’t wait for the water pipe to leak or the wall to fall off before rushing to repair it. Do a regular elderly health screening every year. If you find that your blood pressure and blood sugar are a little high, adjust your diet and rest in time. Intervene in advance for small problems, so that your body can be comfortable and healthy.

If you already have chronic diseases in the elderly such as high blood pressure and diabetes, don’t panic. Taking medicine regularly according to the doctor’s instructions, checking regularly, and controlling the indicators within the normal range for a long time are the most effective ways to prevent serious complications such as myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and renal failure. Don’t always think of relying on folk remedies to “cut the root cause”, which will worsen the condition.

Another point that many people ignore is emotional regulation. After retirement, many elderly people have a big gap. They are always bored at home and thinking wildly. As time goes by, their blood pressure is high and their sleep is poor. If you have nothing to do, you can sign up for an elderly interest class, even if it is square dancing with old sisters or playing chess with old friends. Your mood will be brighter and your body will have fewer minor problems.