Emerging Trends of Chronic Diseases and Their Care Among Older Persons Globally

The global aging population (aged 60 years and above) has been rising, and it is expected to reach 2.1 billion in 2050. Along with the aging process, the burden of age-related diseases also escalated, especially with an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases ( Non-communicable diseases NCDs), particularly in developing countries. The occurrence of NCDs has been increased over the years from 2000 to 2019 with high mortality (87.5%) and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) (87.3%) among older persons in 2019. The change in the distribution of NCDs among older persons is mainly influenced by the environmental and behavioral risk factors, demographic aging, and health system performance for the prevention and management of diseases. Studies have also shown that with advancing age, the older persons are more likely to have multimorbidity leading to high mortality. The cases of multimorbidity among older persons act as a significant public health concern especially in the low- and middle-income nations. The NCD care among older persons can be improved with effective self-management and supportive environment which includes professional support for personal care at home, 24 h care facilities, institutionalized care through geriatric homes, care centers for the older persons with mental or physical disabilities, availability of home tele-assistance, and financial and social security. The healthcare utilization can be improved through health awareness, aged friendly healthcare services with easy access, affordability and comprehensiveness in healthcare, pension support, and a strengthened primary healthcare for universal health coverage for the aging population.