Abstract
The population of older Americans is expected to represent 20 percent of the total U.S. population in the next 50 years, and older women will comprise the majority of that group. Thus, the health care needs of older women are and will be an increasing concern. A subcommittee of the Public Health Service Task Force on Women's Health, which studied the health issues related to older women, observed that many factors relate to the health care of this group. Several factors, such as the homogeneity of the population over 65 years, the distinction between normal aging and disease, and the impact of socioeconomic concerns on physical and mental health, are important for developing preventive and treatment strategies.
Older women die of the same disorders that affect men—heart disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and accidental injuries—but are more likely to be afflicted with one or more chronic conditions that can cause limitations in their lifestyles (for example, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis).
The subcommittee also highlighted disorders with special implications for older women such as incontinence, osteoporosis, prescription drug misuse, and depression, and recommended that health messages for older women be targeted at both young and old cohorts to encourage health promotion and good health practices at all ages.
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