Health Issues People Aged 50+ Need to Watch Out For
As you enter your 50s, it becomes evident that your body and organs begin to deteriorate, increasing the risk of various diseases. It is crucial for individuals in this age group to take good care of their health by eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, getting enough rest, and having annual health check-ups to identify potential risks. This can significantly reduce the likelihood of future illnesses. Let's take a look at some of the health concerns that can affect people aged 50+ and what you can do to manage them.
Diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol: risk factors for critical illnesses
As we age, our bodily systems naturally deteriorate. Combined with past lifestyle habits, such as consuming foods high in sugar and fat, lack of exercise, and insufficient rest, the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol increases. These conditions are significant risk factors that can lead to many other serious health issues.
Older adults tend to develop diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol more frequently due to the natural decline in bodily functions with age. Additionally, the accumulation of previous lifestyle habits, such as poor diet and lack of exercise, increases the likelihood of these conditions. Worse yet, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol also raise the risk of developing many other critical illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, always maintaining good health is the best way to reduce the risk of these illnesses.
Aging and Brain Degeneration: Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
As we age, brain function naturally deteriorates, leading to a higher likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older adults. Alzheimer's is a condition caused by the degeneration of brain tissue structure or function. When brain cells are damaged, patients initially experience short-term memory issues. This damage then spreads to other parts of the brain, affecting learning, cognition, language, and behavior. Dementia, on the other hand, is a syndrome resulting from the decline of various brain regions, potentially caused by conditions such as stroke, brain hemorrhage, or certain brain tumors. Over time, 80-90% of dementia patients also exhibit behavioral symptoms like forgetfulness, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and mood swings.
If you want to prevent rapid brain degeneration, you can take care of your brain by engaging in brain-training games, socializing, and constantly learning new things. Maintaining physical health by keeping blood pressure and diabetes under control, exercising regularly, and taking care of your hearing to avoid hearing loss or impairment are also crucial. These practices can positively impact brain development and function.
Reduced Calcium Absorption Increases Risk of Osteoporosis
It's a misconception to think that exercise is unnecessary as we age. In reality, we can and should exercise at any age, adjusting the intensity to match our age and physical condition. Exercise helps increase muscle mass and improve balance, reducing the risk of falls in older adults. Besides regular exercise, it's important to consume calcium-rich foods, such as milk, small fish, soybeans, tofu, and green leafy vegetables like mustard greens, bok choy, kale, spinach, chard, and etc. Adequate calcium intake strengthens bone density, making bones less fragile and less prone to fractures. Additionally, calcium aids in blood clotting and supports muscle and nerve function.
As we age, our bodies gradually lose bone mass. By the time we reach 50, we lose an additional 3-5% of bone mass each year for about five years, and this loss continues progressively. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor bone density regularly and be vigilant about signs of brittle or easily fractured bones in case of accidents. Do not ignore these signs and seek medical attention promptly to ensure proper care and treatment.
High Cancer Risk Requires Regular Screening
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among Thais. Its causes are numerous, including genetics, unhealthy eating habits (such as high-fat, low-fiber diets), alcohol consumption, smoking, stress, lack of exercise, and insufficient rest. These factors accumulate over time, significantly increasing cancer risk. Therefore, it is essential to have annual health check-ups and cancer screenings to reduce the risk of illness or to receive treatment in the early stages. Common cancers in older adults include colorectal cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Regular screening can help in early detection and improve treatment outcomes.
As we age, the risk of illnesses increases. However, maintaining good health from an early stage by eating nutritious food, quitting smoking and alcohol, getting enough rest, exercising regularly, and having annual health check-ups can significantly reduce these risks. Additionally, boosting your confidence with health insurance while you are still healthy ensures comprehensive coverage. Health insurance typically does not cover pre-existing conditions, so it's important to be prepared in advance.
Choose comprehensive health insurance from Muang Thai Life Assurance, Elite Health Plus for lump sum benefit paid as charged from 20 to 100 million Baht per year with access to treatment at any hospital across Thailand or anywhere in the world. Elite Health Plus covers critical illnesses, cancer, heart, kidney, epidemics, monkeypox, emerging diseases, common diseases and accidents. Entry age is until 90 years with long-term health coverage until age 99 years for both IPD and OPD (2) with insurance premium less than 139 Baht per day.(3)
✔ Lump sum benefit for standard single room based on actual expense or premium single room of up to 10,000 Baht – 25,000 Baht per day
✔ Benefit for ICU room based on actual expense of up to 365 days
✔ Cover cancer treatments including chemotherapy and targeted therapy as well as, MRI and kidney dialysis without hospitalization
✔ Hospitalization in any hospital
✔ Able to purchase additional coverage including maternity coverage or annual health checkup, dental care, vaccination and eye care as you wish.
Buy now and get promotion of 0% for premium installment up to 6 months or cash back of up to 13% from participating credit cards.
For more information,
☑️ Tel. 1766, available 24/7
☑️ Contact life insurance agents or Kasikornbank and Land and Houses Bank branches.
(1) For coverage area of Thailand
(2) In case of choosing coverage plans of 40, 75 or 100 million Baht
(3) For 50-year-old insured with coverage plan of 20 million Baht, coverage area of Thailand and annual premium payment mode
- Elite Health Plus Rider must be purchased to be attached to the policy which is still effective.
- Coverage period of the rider must not exceed the coverage period of the life insurance policy that this rider is attached to.
- Premium is eligible for tax deduction. Conditions are as specified by the Revenue Department.
- Coverage conditions are as specified in the insurance policy.
- Underwriting is subject to the Company’s rules.
- Standard single room fee means fee of standard single room of hospitals in Thailand
- Conditions are in accordance with medical necessity and medical standard.
- Conditions are as specified by Muang Thai Life Assurance PCL and the banks.
- Please study the details of coverage, conditions and exclusions before deciding to purchase insurance.
Sources: Data retrieved on 19/07/2022
(data as of 10/02/2022)
(data as of 04/09/2018)
(data as of 05/02/2020)