Health concerns for Australia’s ageing population

Older, obese and low income Australians are more likely to suffer from chronic disease now than they were 15 years ago, a new study has found.
 
University of Adelaide researchers have compared data from two Australian national health surveys, one taken in 1989-90 and one in 2004-05.

They found that diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure had escalated among the old, the obese and low income earners.

Evan Atlantis, from the University’s School of Medicine, presented the research findings to the recent Heart Foundation conference in Brisbane.

He worked on the study with biostatistician Kylie Lang and School of Medicine chief Gary Wittert.

Dr Atlantis said the findings were concerning in light of Australia’s ageing population.

But he said more research was required to understand why disease rates had increased in select groups.