How to prevent and manage old age diseases such as geriatric syndrome?
Feb 21, 2025
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Professor Song Ji-yoon of the Department of Family Medicine at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital said "Korea has recently entered an ultra-aging society, and life expectancy has increased to 84.3 years. Accordingly, for a healthy old age, integrated health care such as physical activity and exercise, smoking cessation, abstaining from alcohol, diet management, stress management, and quality sleep is necessary from adulthood.
◇Old age, be careful of 'chronic diseases' and 'elderly syndrome'
Chronic diseases can be life-threatening if not managed steadily, so regular checkups and lifestyle management are important. Typical chronic diseases include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, stroke, Parkinson's disease, and heart failure. At the same time, caution should be paid to 'Older Syndrome'. Geriatric syndrome is observed only in the elderly and refers to a disease caused by a combination of aging and disease. Major geriatric syndromes include dementia, delirium, walking disorders, falls, malnutrition, osteoporosis, sleep disorders, and sarcopenia.
Important factors to pay attention to for early detection of senile diseases are basic cognitive impairment, basic physical impairment, and impaired mobility. When these symptoms are observed, medical institutions should evaluate and treat cognitive function, emotions, communication, exercise and equilibrium, function, nutrition, social and environmental resources, etc.
◇The health care rules of the elderly in their daily lives
Maintaining muscle strength and providing adequate nutrition are of paramount importance for the health care of the elderly. In particular, protein intake is important for the prevention of sarcopenia. High-quality proteins such as meat, fish, eggs, and legumes are recommended, and 1 to 1.2 grams per day per kilogram of weight is appropriate. Eat fat and oil 5 to 8 teaspoons a day, and vegetables and fruits daily. Grain rice should be consumed more than white rice and white bread, and calcium should be consumed sufficiently through milk and dairy products. In addition, the elderly tend to eat salty due to their slow taste, so try to eat blandly using spices other than salt.
Exercise in the elderly lowers the cardiovascular risk, and lowers the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cancer, depression, and anxiety disorders. Systematic exercise therapy such as regular aerobic exercise, muscle strength exercise, and flexibility exercise is required, and one should pay particular attention to maintaining the strength of the lower extremities. In a study examining the effects of preventing weakness by sport, men showed excellent effects on preventing weakness in the order of dance and cycling, swimming, hiking, and women climbing, walking, and tennis. Maintaining a normal weight by lowering the body mass index while improving muscle strength can also help prevent diabetes in the elderly.
The goal of exercise is to do more than 150 minutes of activity a week for five days of medium-intensity exercise for 30 minutes a week, or to do high-intensity exercise for more than 60 minutes a week for three days of high-intensity exercise for 20 minutes a week. You should also exercise to strengthen your muscles two to three days a week. You don't usually exercise regularly, and if your physical strength is weak, you should gradually increase your exercise and intensity.
In addition, it is recommended to take an appropriate dose of nutritional supplements because osteoporosis and sarcopenia can be prevented through sufficient vitamin D intake. In addition, if the frequency of interaction with others is low, the size of the hippocampus in the brain is greatly reduced, and the risk of dementia increases due to hippocampus atrophy, so the elderly should try to increase interaction with others to prevent dementia.
Professor Song Ji-yoon "We need to reduce the period of old age as much as possible and maintain a healthy condition at the stage of old age, disability, and death. Exercise and physical activity, meals that prevent muscle loss, maintaining proper weight, taking vitamin D, maintaining proper sleep, vaccination, and health check-ups help promote health and prevent disease and diagnose early," he said.
◇Application for 'emergency safety safety safety service', Preparation for emergency situations such as 'fall'
In Korea, there is a rapid response service for the elderly in emergency situations. It is an information and communication technology-based equipment installation project that detects and reports fires, emergency calls, and long-term collapse in elderly homes, and any elderly living alone in Korea can apply for a visit at the Eup, Myeon, Dong administrative welfare center or emergency safety safety service implementation institution. Inquiries can be made to the Health and Welfare Counseling Center 129.
In addition, in order to prepare for an emergency, medical information records such as birth date, blood type, presence or absence of allergies, diseases possessed, drugs taken, hospitals used, and emergency contact information can be written and placed in a prominent place such as a refrigerator, or health records can be effectively managed using the Ministry of Health and Welfare 'My Health Record' app.
Professor Song Ji-yoon "It is recommended to create a safe family environment to prevent falls that have fatal effects on the health of elderly people living alone. It is recommended to exercise regularly and discuss with your doctor whether the drug will cause dizziness. If your eyesight drops, you should wear glasses, arrange items that can trip over your feet, keep the floor slippery, and keep the lights bright."
In the case of the elderly, the ability to control body temperature is low, so when going out in the cold, wear undergarments, scarves, hats, gloves, etc. to prevent frostbite and help maintain body temperature. It is recommended to reduce your stride and wear non-slip shoes to avoid slipping on the frozen road in the cold winter, and to use a cane or walker if walking is unstable."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
