1. Chronic Illness and Lifestyle
Factors
How do your bad habits early in life, effect
your health as an elder?

2. The Nature of Chronic
Illness
• Generally incurable, worsen over time and
endure many years.
• Causes can be due to lifestyle choices and
heredity.
• The major cause of death & majority of health
care costs in the US
• Associated with a reduced ability to function
• Bad habits put people “at risk” for chronic
illnesses

3. The Five Major Killers
Heart Disease
Cancer
Stroke
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Diabetes

4. Risky Behavior in Youth and
Middle Age
Being overweight
Not exercising enough
Smoking cigarettes
Eating an unhealthy diet
Abusing alcohol Photo by Audrey Winslet Grenada
Two or more risk factors =“at risk” for chronic condition
and more likely to be limited in ability to perform in daily
activities

5. Heart Disease
Any condition of the heart, or the blood vessels
supplying the heart, that impairs its functioning.
• Can begin with high blood cholesterol and high blood
pressure
• Progresses to atherosclerosis
• When fatty buildup in the inner lining of an artery
causes reduced blood flow to the heart and other
vital organs
• Atherosclerosis causes arteries to narrow, weaken
and become less flexible.

6. Lifestyle Factors Leading to
Heart Disease
Smoking
High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
Sedentary Lifestyle
Excess Body Fat
Diabetes

7. Cancer
Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control
growth.
• There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is
classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.
• The most common cancer deaths in the elderly population
lung,
colorectal
prostate
and breast cancers.

8. Lifestyle Factors relating to
Cancer
The single most effective way to prevent cancer is to
quit smoking cigarettes
Cancer of all body systems can be linked, on some
level, to smoking cigarettes
Poor diet and lack of exercise is implicated in many
cancers
Overexposure to sunlight is blamed for skin cancers
Environmental toxins are related to lung, skin and
throat cancers.

9. Stroke
A stroke can be thought of as a
heart attack that occurs within the brain.
The blood vessels in the brain either
become blocked or burst, which keeps
the brain cells from getting the oxygen
and nutrients it needs

10. Lifestyle Factors that Lead to
Stroke
The main risk for stroke is high blood
pressure
Other dangerous health behaviors that
lead to stroke are:
Smoking
Heavy drinking
High cholesterol
Inactivity

11. COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPD is a diagnosis that can describe several different lung
conditions, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma
In each condition, airflow is obstructed causing weakness, cough
and breathlessness.
Many individuals must carry supplemental oxygen

12. Lifestyle Factors Relating to
COPD
90% of cases of COPD can be attributed
to cigarette smoking
Exposure to environmental toxins (work
related exposure where proper
precautions were not taken)
Lack of physical activity

13. Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which your blood
glucose, or sugar, levels are too high because your
body has difficulty regulating insulin production or
use.
Insulin is a hormone that helps the body take
up sugar from the bloodstream to be used for
energy
Type 1 diabetes is occurs in childhood or
young adulthood as a result of the pancreas
malfunctioning

14. Lifestyle Factors Relating to
Diabetes
Overweight due to poor eating habits
(especially those people who store fat on
the abdomen)
Lack of physical activity

15. Preventative Measures
Chronic disease is responsible for the majority of
disabilities and deaths in the U.S. every year.
The lifestyle we choose can determine our risk of
contracting these diseases.
In order to reduce our risk, we must
Stop smoking
Eat a healthy diet
Exercise (maintain weight)
Limit alcohol use