YOUR 60S

“The problem is that medications we take in our 50s and 60s may not have side effects then, but when we get older, they will. Overmedication of older adults is a growing problem. Many older adults are put on medications to treat the side effects of their other medications,” he adds. “As a geriatrician, I have discontinued more medications than I’ve prescribed because the benefits no longer outweighed the risks.”

What To Watch For Now

Watch for health concerns from previous decades, plus:

BLURRINESS OR VISION LOSS. Glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration often show up now.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. Over 50 percent of those 60 and older have this condition, defined as a reading of 140 (systolic) over 90 (diastolic) or higher.

HEARING LOSS. Approximately 30 percent of adults in this decade experience some loss of hearing, and it’s more common in men than women.

ANEMIA. If you’re constantly tired, ask your doctor to check for anemia, which is found in one in 10 people over age 65.

Screenings and Tests

Follow up on the screenings and tests from previous decades, plus:

BONE DENSITY SCREENING (WOMEN): At age 65 and from then on, as recommended by doctor

EYE EXAM: Every one to three years from age 64 on; more often if you have vision issues

PNEUMONIA VACCINATION: Annually, or as recommended by doctor

SHINGLES VACCINATION: Once after age 60

Fight Back

› Schedule annual eye exams.

› Maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly and watch sodium intake (no more than 1,500 milligrams per day). Take medication, if your doctor prescribes it.

› See your doctor if you notice hearing changes, especially if just in one ear.

› Take an iron supplement, if your doctor recommends.

Cancer cells like to be in a rapid growth environment, which is why they do very well in younger bodies. In older adults, everything’s slower, and you also have to look at the balance of life expectancy and treatment. Cancer is different in 80 and 90 year olds than it is in 50 year olds. You have to balance the effects of treatment with the natural course of the disease.

“For example, if a man lives to be 100, he will invariably have cancer cells in the prostate, but he won’t die of it. Now, if a 50 year old has them, it’s very serious and must be treated,” Wasserman explains.

“I cared for a dear patient for many years, who got prostate cancer in his mid-80s. His urologist treated it aggressively, but when the patient started declining and was hospitalized at 88, I told him, ‘They’re killing the cancer, but they’re also killing you.’ We stopped the treatment, and I

What To Watch For Now

Watch for health concerns from previous decades, plus:

MEMORY CHANGES. About one in eight adults age 65 to 74 have Alzheimer’s, while 43 percent of those over 85 have the disease.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. The older you get, the more friends and family pass away, but social interaction is vital to combat depression and stress.

Screenings and Tests

Continue to follow up on the screenings and tests from previous decades.

put him on testosterone, making a deal with his urologist that if the PSA went above 30, we’d put him back on treatment. This gentleman just had his 98th birthday, and his PSA has never gone above 17.

“If you enter your 80s healthy, you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and be very cautious about over-treatment,” cautions Wasserman. “Your metabolism is different when you’re older, and you are also more prone to side effects.”

Fight Back

› Exercise your brain! Do mental puzzles and games, take up new hobbies, play a musical instrument, read, etc. to keep your brain active.

› Stay socially connected.

› Eat a diet shown to positively impact brain health, including salmon, walnuts, dark leafy green and berries. Red wine and dark chocolate are also beneficial—in moderation, of course!