 Go to archive of Healthy Aging articles
As we age, few topics are more important to any of us, our spouses, friends and neighbors than health. We live in an age where there is no dearth of information on this subject. Scarcely a magazine or news program goes without some new story on health. My intention is to put any new information within the greater perspective of our present knowledge, and over time to review with you all the normal changes that occur with age. It is no secret to any of us who climb out of bed each day that we aren't quite the same as we were some years ago. We might even be better! As we discuss normal aging, we will also cover some of the common diseases that we live with. Emphasis will also be placed on both the role of prevention as well as the treatment of common problems. Explanations about why drug doses change over time and why physicians treat some patients differently than others will be discussed. I don't intend to spend too much space on health care delivery, but we are going through a revolutionary time in the provision of health care and it would be unwise not to comment on the changes, both good and bad, that we will inevitably all face.
These columns, which were originally published in the Seabrooker Newspaper, are designed to address matters of greatest concern to those over the age of fifty. There are several reasons for that. First, I have concentrated in my practice and in my research on this age group. Secondly, many South Carolinans, including myself, fit comfortably in this demographic set. Third, I expect a lot of new information to come out as the medical profession, the National Institutes of Health, pharmaceutical companies, the Food and Drug Administration, Medicare, and many health research foundations increasingly focus on the health and welfare of older Americans. Future columns will feature some aspect of health and disease plus carry an important new finding from the medical literature that you would benefit from knowing about. I welcome questions and comments, which can be e-mailed or faxed to me. It is, after all, important to address those issues that interest you- otherwise I may dwell too much on my own interests, which are heart, brain, and medicine concerns.
I'll end with a medical aphorism. During and ever since medical school, pediatricians have always said, "You know infants and children are not just little people." And today's rejoinder is, "And, elder citizens are not just older people." There is a lot we are learning about the healthy changes that come with age and that is precisely what I hope to bring to the Seabrooker. We would like to especially thank the editor of the Seabrooker, Red Ballentine for allowing the opportunity to share these columns with those interested in healthy aging. Jerry Reves, M.D.
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The first Baby Boomer turned 50 in 1996. For the first time in history, the 50 plus age group population outnumbers teens. Those 50 and older now claim one-quarter of the nation’s population, their numbers having risen steadily with each decade. The nation—and our state—is growing older. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts the 65 and older population will grow from one in eight Americans today to one in six by 2020. The mature adult population will total 53.7 million, an increase over today’s 34.9 million mature adult population. In 2000, South Carolina boasted 485,300 residents 65 and older, a number that has increased by 100,000 each decade from 1950 to 1990, and by 90,900 from 1990 to 2000. This was an increase of 322 percent from 1950 to 2000. In 2000, 27.9 percent of the state’s residents were over 50, whereas in 1970 only 21 percent were over 50. South Carolina’s 50+ population totaled 1,121,000 in 2000, a 111 percent increase from 1970. Source: SC State Budget and Control Board Office of Research and Statistics |
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