People aged 85 years and over have a high burden of respiratory disease, according to new findings. The research has shed light on the health problems likely to be encountered by the ageing population.
The research, presented today (3 September 2012) at the European Respiratory Society's annual Congress in Vienna, aimed to investigate the respiratory health of people at the extremes of the ageing population.
The analysis revealed that overall, 20% of men and 21% of women had either asthma or COPD. 59% of men and 50% of women showed airflow obstruction when they undertook a spirometry test to measure lung function.
People aged 85 years and over are the fastest growing age group worldwide. As many chronic diseases are more common in older people, population ageing results in a higher number of people living with chronic conditions. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major illnesses affecting the elderly. As more people are living longer, it is likely that the number of cases of COPD will rise in the coming years.
Researchers from the UK aimed to investigate the current burden of respiratory conditions in the elderly population. The research was conducted as part of the Newcastle 85+ study, a 5-year longitudinal study assessing and following the health and vitality of members of the general population from the year they reach 85 years of age.
The study includes comprehensive demographic, physiological, clinical and biological assessments of health and vitality. For this paper, the research team worked with 845 people aged 85years and over from the UK.