10 common chronic illnesses — and how to live with them

If you’re dealing with a chronic illness, you’re not alone. Nearly 95% of people age 60 and older have at least one chronic condition — and 79% have two or more.

While there are some risk factors for chronic illness you can’t control — age, family history, genetics — there are things you can do to possibly prevent the onset of a chronic medical condition, or make the management of an existing one easier.

Spoiler alert: It’s those pesky healthy lifestyle habits we hear about so often. But that’s because they’re good for us in every conceivable way.

Here’s the National Council on Aging’s list of the 10 most common chronic conditions adults on Medicare were recently treated for.

1. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

   Nearly 12% of older adults on Medicare were treated for Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Dementia is not a normal part of aging and is caused by changes in the brain over time.

2. Depression

   Sixteen percent of older adults sought treatment for depression — a treatable medical condition that isn’t a normal part of aging. Depression causes persistent feelings of sadness, pessimism, hopelessness, fatigue, difficulty making decisions, changes in appetite, a loss of interest in activities, and more.

3. Heart failure

   About 5% of older adults were treated for heart failure — when the heart can’t adequately supply blood and oxygen to all of the organs in the body. The heart might become enlarged, develop more muscle mass, or pump faster in order to meet the body’s needs, causing you to feel tired, light headed, nauseous, confused, or lack an appetite.

4. Chronic kidney disease (CKD)

   Nearly 25% of older adults were treated for chronic kidney disease (CKD) or a slow loss in kidney function over time. People dealing with CKD have an increased risk for developing heart disease or kidney failure.

5. Diabetes

   Twenty-seven percent of older adults were treated for diabetes. When your body is resistant to, or doesn’t produce enough, insulin (what your body uses to get energy from food), you get high blood sugar, which can lead to complications such as kidney disease, heart disease or blindness.

6. Ischemic heart disease (or coronary heart disease)

   Nearly 29% of older adults were treated for ischemic heart disease, which is caused by a buildup of plaque that narrows the arteries leading to the heart. Narrow or blocked arteries decrease the amount of oxygen-rich blood delivered to the heart, which can cause blood clots, angina or a heart attack.

7. Arthritis

   About 35% of older adults were treated for arthritis — an inflammation of your joints, which causes pain and stiffness and is more common in women.

8. Obesity

   About 40% of adults 65 and older are living with obesity, a chronic disease linked to more than 200 chronic conditions.

9. High cholesterol

   More than 50% of older adults were treated for high cholesterol — a condition that occurs when your body has an excess of bad fats (or lipids), resulting in your arteries getting clogged, which can lead to heart disease.

10. Hypertension (high blood pressure)

    Nearly 60% of older adults were treated for hypertension. When your heart pumps a lot of blood, and you have narrow arteries that resist the flow, that’s when you get high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. The danger of hypertension is not only that you can have it for years and not know it, but it can cause other serious health conditions, like stroke and heart attacks.

Next steps to preventing or managing chronic conditions

The most important thing you can do to potentially avoid a chronic condition or successfully deal with one, is to follow your doctor’s instructions on medication and recommended lifestyle changes.

Here’s a general reminder of several healthy lifestyle behaviors — in no particular order — that can benefit many people. (Talk with your doctor first about how they could impact your health.)

• Sleep. Your brain does important stuff while you’re sleeping, so getting at least seven hours of deep sleep a night is crucial.

• Eat a diet high in nutrients. Limit alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, sugar, salt, highly processed foods, saturated fats and trans fats. If you have diabetes, monitor your carbohydrate and calorie intake.

• Exercise routinely for physical and psychological benefits, including the release of mood-improving endorphins and other “feel good” brain chemicals. Aim for 150 minutes a week. Also, be sure to stretch, and include exercises that will increase your flexibility and muscle strength.

• Stay within the recommended weight for your height — losing one pound can remove four pounds of pressure on your knees. Losing just 10 pounds can reduce blood pressure. And if you’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, safely lose 5-7% of your body weight.

• Take steps to prevent diabetes and high blood pressure, the greatest risk factors for kidney damage. Talk with your doctor about what your blood pressure reading should be and check it regularly. The quicker you catch pre-hypertension, the more likely you are to prevent high blood pressure.

• Manage your stress, and reach out to family and friends during rough spells. Consider regular meditation. Talk to your doctor if you’ve experienced any signs of depression, and ask about treatment options. Antidepressant medications or psychotherapy could be right for you.

• Don’t smoke or use nicotine in any form.