California Seniors Health Deteriorating

San Diego has 2nd largest elderly population in state

The health of our state's senior citizens is deteriorating, with adults were more likely to report cancer, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and the need for help with emotional problems, according to a new study from UCLA

"If those trends continue… we're going to come up against a wall as to what medicine can do to keep these people alive," said Steven P. Wallace, a UCLA professor of public health and coauthor of the report.  

According to the study, the use of medical care services is up, including the percent of older adults who went to the emergency room or made monthly or more frequent doctor visits.  And diabetes and obesity are nearly twice as high for Latinos and African Americans, the study said.

It wasn't all bad news -- the study also found improved screening rates for several types of cancer and a drop in the number of older women taking hormone replacement therapy which have been linked cancer and heart disease.

San Diego County has the second highest elderly population in the state with 325,000.  By 2026 the elderly population in the state. will double to nearly 8 million.

The report was funded by The California Wellness Foundation.

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