Prevalent medical conditions in adults over 60 years

Abstract

In the daily medical act the phenomenon of population aging is every day more evident; however, the elderly Colombian population has been little studied. In the city of Pasto a study aiming to know the multidimensional characteristics of the older population was carried out. Relevant findings from the medical dimension are shown in this article. Objective: to determine the most relevant multidimensional characteristics in a representative group of seniors from San Juan de Pasto. Materials and Methods: quantitative study with a descriptive, transversal and analytical level. The population consisted of 426 older adults; the type of sampling was non probabilistic at convenience and by quotas (in each commune) stratified by age and sex. The assessment instrument designed for the study comprising evaluations from the demographic, medical, psychological, functional and social dimensions was applied. Statistical analysis was made using SPSS version 20 package. Results: regarding the medical aspect was found that (50.5%) of older adults consider their health is not good; among the five most prevalent conditions, HBP (55.6%), venous insufficiency (40.4%), dyslipidemia (40.3%), urinary tract infection (38%) and osteoarthritis / arthritis (34.7%), were found. The drugs most commonly used by older adults are those acting on the cardiovascular system (51.9%). Finally (82.8%) of adults surveyed have not been hospitalized. Conclusions: In older adults of the city of Pasto, as described in other geriatric populations, the predominance in the prevalence of chronic non-infectious conditions was evidenced, posing new challenges to face the burden of disease in this age group.