Almost half of those over 60 have high blood pressure

Almost half of those aged over 60 suffer from high blood pressure, one of the risk factors of stroke, heart disease and renal failure, a study published yesterday shows.

Not all the elderly suffering from hypertension take medication to lower their blood pressure but such medicine is still the most commonly used among 39 per cent of those over 60.

With high blood pressure being the biggest problem reported by the elderly in Malta, it is no surprise that the most common cause of mortality among over 60-year-olds in 2008 was heart disease. In fact, heart ailments caused 21 per cent of deaths among women and 23 per cent in men.

The report, one in a series forming part of the EU-wide European Health Interview Survey carried out in 2008, found 40 per cent of the elderly suffered from arthritis, 27 per cent from back and neck pain and 20 per cent from diabetes.

Mental health is also a problem, being prevalent among 18 per cent of the older generation. However, only 12.4 per cent are treated for it.

Despite these problems, almost half of the 1,009 elderly interviewed said their health was good, with 8.3 per cent saying it was very good, an increase of eight per cent in relation to the first such survey carried out in 2002.

Fifty-three per cent of those aged over 85 were admitted to hospital in 2008, compared to 22.2 per cent of the 60- to 74-year-olds and 39.2 per cent in the case of those aged between 75 and 84.

Old age has an impact on the lifestyle of elderly and 39 per cent of women and 47 per cent of men aged 85 and older report extreme difficulty in reading their newspaper, even when wearing their spectacles. Other tasks, such as getting in and out of bed and taking a shower, also becomes harder, with women reporting more difficulties than men.

However, 84 per cent of those who reported some difficulties in everyday tasks still managed to live on their own, even though they had limitations.

Neville Calleja, director of the Department of Health Information and Research, said there was a very good support network in the community. Yet, the problem of dumping elderly people in hospital remained, a practice that was highly criticised by Community Care Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea.

"There are those who really cannot take care of the elderly but there are irresponsible families who can but still dump them at Mater Dei. This is criminal," he said.

Apart from this, he added, blocking beds in hospital could lead to cancellations of surgeries, with the repercussions this could have on other patients.

"The government is there to support but cannot substitute the family's care of the elderly," he said.

Mr Galea said last year almost 1,000 elderly were taken from hospital to institutions, a slight drop from the 1,033 in the previous year. Last month, about 100 elderly were transferred from Mater Dei to institutions.

According to the 2005 census, almost 20 per cent of the Maltese population is 60 years and older.

Factbox

• Almost 60 per cent of old people have a long-standing health condition, an increase of more than 11 per cent from 2002.

• Three per cent of respondents said they had nobody to offer them support in their life.

• Cancer-related deaths are the most common among people aged between 60 and 74 years. Women are more prone to breast, colon and pancreas cancer while lung, trachea and colon cancer are more common among men.

• Elderly people have an average body mass index of 28, which ranks them as overweight and verging on the obese.

• While 51 per cent of those aged 60 to 74 go for a walk at least five times a week, this drops as they get older.

• Only two per cent of elderly said they never eat fruit and 83 per cent said they eat fruit at least once a day. However, only 56 per cent said they eat vegetables daily.

• Alcohol consumption is low among the elderly, with 72 per cent reporting rare or no alcohol consumption over the previous 12 months; 86 per cent said they do not smoke.

• The main cause of death, among both males and females, is heart disease, followed by cerebrovascular disease, including stroke.

• There are 4,457 elderly people living in institutions.

• Twenty per cent of women aged over 84 have problems bathing and showering and almost 14 per cent of this age group have problems getting in and out of bed or a chair and 10 per cent find it hard to dress and undress. Fewer males reported problems than females.