Health & wellbeing in older adults in Scotland

• Cancer: Overall incidence of cancers (malignant neoplasm) increases with age, peaking in those 70-74 years old, before falling in the very old (see also ISD Cancer Statistics).
• Chronic liver disease: Chronic liver disease trends generally reflects changes in alcohol consumption - there was a sharp increase in chronic liver disease mortality rates for both men and women between 1993 and 2003, with a general decline in mortality rates thereafter. For both men and women, chronic liver disease mortality rates peak around aged 60 and decrease with age thereafter (see our Chronic liver disease: mortality page).
• Coronary heart disease: Incidence (i.e. new diagnosis) rates rise sharply with age; across all age groups males are more likely than females to have a new diagnosis of CHD (see our ScotPHO heart disease: Scottish data page).
• Dementia is more common in older people (see our dementia page).
• Diabetes (Type 2): incidence and prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is more common in older people; 56% of all the people whose data are recorded in the Scottish diabetic survey are aged 65 years or older (Scottish Diabetes Survey, 2018). 
• Disability: For both men and women the prevalence of having a disability (defined as a long-standing illness, health problem or disability) rises steadily with age (see our Disability: limiting long-term health conditions and illness page).
• Falls and frailty: Falls are a common cause of injury in older people. Most falls do not result in major injury but can result in loss of confidence and independence. 
• High blood pressure: The prevalence of high blood pressure rises with age (see our High blood pressure: prevalence page).
• Loneliness: 1.4 million older people report being “often” lonely in the UK (Age UK).The proportion of over 50s who say they are lonely has remained similar for the previous decade, but because of the aging population the number of people who are predicted to be often lonely will increase to 2 million by 2026. (Age UK).
• End of life care has an impact on the wellbeing of older people and their unpaid carers. Over the past nine years, the percentage of the last 6 months of life time spent at home or in a community setting has gradually increased from 85.3% in 2010/11 to 88.7% in 2018/19 (Percentage of End of Life Spent at Home or in a Community Setting 2020 report). The length of hospital stays in 2020/21 increased, largely because of the measures put in place due to COVID-19.
• Depression and anxiety: Levels of depression and anxiety are lower for those aged 65 years and over for both sexes (see our Mental health: depression and anxiety page)
• Osteoporosis: losing bone mass is a normal part of the ageing process, but some people lose bone density much faster than normal, leading to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures. Women also lose bone rapidly in the first few years after the menopause. 3.5 million people in the UK have osteoporosis, and the lifetime risk of hip fractures is 8.3% in men and 17.2% in women (International Osteoporosis Foundation). 
• Stroke: Incidence and mortality are strongly related to age, with rates highest in the older age groups (see our Stroke: Scottish data page). However, reduction in stroke incidence has been greater in the over 75s compared to the under 75s.
• Self-assessed health: The proportion of people assessing their health as bad or very bad increases with age (see our Disability: self-assessed health page).