Today, the concepts of health and aging are changing rapidly. Stating that the understanding of ´aging is now a disease´ has also changed, Geriatrics Specialists said, "There is a chronological age, it covers the time from the day we were born until today. We also have a biological age. For example, a 75–80-year-old person has no health problems and leads a quality life. On the other hand, a 40-year-old person has sugar, blood pressure, heart, and his quality of life has decreased. In this case, the biological age of a 75-80-year-old person is actually 40 years old. The biological age of a 40-year-old person with many diseases is equivalent to 75-80 years old.

What are the diseases that come to the fore with old age?

ALZHEIMER AND DEMENTARY (DEMENTS): The most important of these are the conditions we call “Geriatric Syndromes”. These are conditions that are likely to occur with aging. Alzheimer´s and dementia (dementia) are the leading diseases that occur with aging. The risk of developing both these diseases increases with age. If the probability of Alzheimer´s is 10 percent in a 70-year-old person, the risk increases to 60-70 percent when that person is 80-90 years old.

FALLS: Falls are one of the most important risks that come to the fore with old age. The person is 80 years old, has no disease, everything is going well, he falls at home or on the street and breaks his hip. Then, surgeries are performed, and then he may be confined to bed or die due to the complications caused by these fractures. For this reason, in order to prevent the elderly from falling, some arrangements should be made in the home of the elderly, especially in order to prevent home accidents.

The old man´s home should be arranged just like a baby´s home. How do we avoid stair steps, foldable floor coverings, bad lighting, and sharp-edged items when we have a baby? Such environments should also be prepared at home for the elderly. An elderly person may not see the mattress on the floor, and if the light is off, bumps and falls may occur in the dark.

HEARING FUNCTION IS DECREASING, IT IS LIKE IT: One of the things that should be considered in the elderly is to control the decrease in hearing functions. When the elderly who were brought in with dementia were tested, it turns out that their hearing functions are reduced. He has difficulty participating in conversation in public because his hearing has decreased.

Why are the people we call the "old stager" healthier than we are?

Technology has developed very rapidly, but the human body has not yet adapted to this technology. Technology has brought us the elevator; we go by car even for the shortest distances. We started to sit at our desk at work more, consume more packaged foods, and eat more fatty foods. Our consumption of alcohol and cigarettes has also increased. The human body cannot handle all of this.

In the past, there were no cars, people were walking, there were slopes, the markets were full of takeaway food and it wasn´t that cheap. Sugar was hard to come by. People were eating naturally. The body tells us to eat less, move more. But our way of life is not suitable for it. What if we didn´t get in the car for a stop or two, or wait for the elevator for 10 minutes for two or three floors? We would be doing something good for our health if we didn´t eat nuts in front of the TV. For this reason, in our daily conversations, we always say, ´Old stagers are stronger than us, we are rotten at a young age´.

What can we do to age healthy?

We will stay healthy if we pay attention to our diet, consume balanced and beneficial foods, stay away from harmful substances, engage in sports activities as much as our age and body allows, and start having checkups when we are healthier.

We cannot avoid genetic and congenital events, but we may be able to take some precautions against these risks. If there is colon cancer or breast cancer in the family, screening methods can be applied. If there is Alzheimer´s, osteoporosis, we can reduce the risk with some life changes.

Everyone over the age of 40 should have a general health check-up. For example, women can also take precautions against cervical cancer with a smear test.

Vaccination of the elderly and those with chronic diseases is very important. Adults also have a vaccination schedule. Falls and infections in old age increase the risk of death. We can prevent them with vaccination.

Aging is not a disease, it´s just a condition. When we are born, all our organs grow at the same time, if one of them grows from the front, disease occurs, in old age all organs shrink equally in terms of function, if one of the systems causes problems earlier, the problems increase. Bone resorption decreases, hardening of the vessels increases. Some of these diseases can be avoided if measures are taken against arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, sports and a balanced diet from middle age.

What measures can be taken in childhood and youth for our future health?

It is necessary not to allow children to eat at the computer, consume high-calorie and fatty foods, drink carbonated drinks, and spend very long hours in front of the computer. Families should encourage their children to do sports and pay close attention to their nutrition. Because children always imitate their elders. If they develop healthy habits as children, they will continue to do so into youth and adulthood.