To live healthy in old age

Long life expectancy is a good thing, but according to the World Health Organization, the healthy life expectancy of Vietnamese people is only 65.4 years old. This means that in the last 8-10 years of life, the elderly have to live with illness or declining health.

Burden of disease in old age

This year, at the age of 75, Mr. NST (residing in Tan Trieu ward, Dong Nai province) has lived with non-communicable diseases for more than 10 years. In the latest examination at Dong Nai General Hospital, in addition to the diabetes with neurological complications that he has been treating up to now, Mr. T. was also diagnosed with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Along with that, there is prostate enlargement, disc herniation, 5mm gallbladder polyp, mixed hyperlipidemia, tachycardia, and increased prostate production.

The General Statistics Office ( Ministry of Finance ) forecasts that by 2029, Vietnam will have 17.2 million elderly people and by 2069, it will increase to 31.6 million people. If there are no feasible solutions, it is forecasted that by 2038, Vietnam will enter the aging population stage.

After the examination, Mr. T. was prescribed 14 days of medication by the doctor and advised to have regular check-ups and not to stop taking the medication on his own.

Mr. T. shared: For more than 10 years, he has been going to the hospital to get medical check-ups and medicine as often as "going to the market". The diseases he has suffered from cannot be cured completely and must be treated for life. Therefore, Mr. T. always carries medicine with him, not daring to forget a day. Due to his illness, Mr. T.'s health has declined, and he can only do light work.

As for Mr. PMH (65 years old, residing in Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province), a few months after his retirement, he discovered he had high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

“Before retiring, my wife and I had planned to go on a trip, but we couldn’t do it because of illness. If we wanted to go anywhere, we would only go for a few days and we always had to carry blood pressure medication with us. There were several times when my blood pressure was so high that I had to be hospitalized,” Mr. H. confided.

Head of the Planning and Synthesis Department, Dong Nai General Hospital, Dr. Nguyen Tat Trung said: Common diseases in the elderly are: cardiovascular disease (including high blood pressure), cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, cataracts...

The reasons why many elderly people suffer from many diseases at the same time are: Due to an unreasonable diet, bad habits such as: smoking, alcohol abuse, eating too much salt, eating too few green vegetables, sedentary lifestyle, being overweight... In addition, there are also factors related to the environment and climate change. The fact that elderly people suffer from many diseases at the same time puts great pressure not only on the economy of each family but also on the health care and social security system.

To be happy and healthy in old age

Although she is 90 years old this year, Mrs. Ha Thi Kim (residing in Tan Trieu ward) still practices folk dance regularly every day at Tan Chau Club (Tan Trieu ward). Together with members aged 40-50, Mrs. Kim regularly participates in folk dance performances with other clubs in the province. Mrs. Kim is a shining example for her children and club members to follow in terms of practicing persistently, tenaciously, and never giving up.

Also very interested in health and joy in old age, Ms. Ngo Thi Huyen (70 years old, residing in Tam Hiep ward, Dong Nai province) has been learning folk dance for more than 10 years. Ms. Huyen often shares video clips recording her dances with artificial intelligence (AI) applications that change the background very interestingly.

Ms. Huyen said: “Aging is a natural law and no one can avoid the aging of the body. However, it depends on how we accept old age to have the best way to treat ourselves. I am always satisfied with what I have, think positively, and live optimistically.”

According to Dr. Nguyen Tat Trung, to live happily and healthily in old age, first of all, each elderly person needs to be financially proactive. At the same time, maintain good habits such as: exercising regularly to keep blood circulating well and mind comfortable; maintain interaction with family, friends, and the community; follow a balanced, healthy diet; pay attention to regular health check-ups; use medications as prescribed by the doctor; get enough sleep; quit smoking, minimize alcohol, stimulants, etc.

Doctor Nguyen Tat Trung noted: To prevent non-communicable diseases, the elderly should pay attention to reducing salt, fat and sugar when eating. They should use additional supplements to compensate for the lack of nutrients in the body. When having any health problems, they should contact their doctor for examination, consultation, and appropriate medication, avoiding self-medication or self-discontinuation of medication.

Hanh Dung

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202509/de-tuoi-cao-van-song-khoe-02e2bc3/