Top 10 chronic health problems of seniors are all related to low vitamin D

Created June 2025

The Top 10 Chronic Conditions of Seniors (Perplexity AI June 2025)

1. Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

  • Affects 73.7% of women aged 65-74 and 84.1% of women aged 75+ 1

  • 71.8% of men aged 65-74 and 83.2% of men aged 75+ have hypertension 1

  • The most common chronic condition affecting seniors 2

    2. High Cholesterol

  • Affects 55.1% of older adults 3

  • Second most frequently reported condition among seniors 3

  • Closely linked to cardiovascular disease risk 2

    3. Arthritis

  • Affects 51.3% of older adults 3

  • Third most frequently reported condition among seniors 3

  • 52% of 85-year-olds had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in clinical studies 4

    4. Obesity

  • 38.0% of men aged 60 and older 1

  • 39.6% of women aged 60 and older 1

  • Affects approximately 42% of adults 60 and older 5

    5. Diabetes

  • Affects 26% of adults aged 65 and older 6

  • 12.1% of all adults have diabetes, with higher rates among seniors 3

  • Diabetes prevalence among American older adults may increase more than 400% by 2050 4

    6. Heart Disease

  • Affects 6.5% of adults overall, with higher rates among seniors 3

  • Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis are common chronic conditions at age 85 4

  • Leading cause of death but lower prevalence than other chronic conditions 7

    7. Cancer

  • 8.0% of adults overall report cancer (excluding skin cancer) 3

  • Higher incidence rates in older adults, particularly those over 65 3

  • 34% of those above age 65 have been affected by osteoarthritis 6

    8. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

  • 6.2% of adults have COPD 3

  • Chronic respiratory diseases affected 11.7 million adults in 2022 8

  • More common in older populations 4

    9. Depression

  • 16% of older adults sought treatment for depression in Medicare data 5

  • 20.2% of all adults report depression 3

  • Not a normal part of aging but significantly affects quality of life 5

    10. Stroke (Cerebrovascular Disease)

  • 3.4% of adults report stroke history 3

  • Third leading cause of death among seniors 1

  • Higher incidence with advanced age 4

    References

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/older-american-health.htm

  2. https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/most-common-health-concerns-seniors/

  3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12007472/

  4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5732407/

  5. https://www.ncoa.org/article/the-top-10-most-common-chronic-conditions-in-older-adults/

  6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4254543/

  7. https://usafacts.org/articles/what-are-the-top-causes-of-death-for-people-65-and-older/

  8. https://nchstats.com/statistics-chronic-disease-seniors/

  9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9930518/

📄 A total of 4 questions about chronic senior health was asked of Perplexity AI June 2025

See related: Top 10 chronic health problems of children, women, pregnancies, seniors, and darker skins are fought by Vitamin D

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