Older Adult Health

Data are for the U.S.

Fair or poor health
  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and older in fair or poor health: 24.3% (2023)

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Difficulty with self care
  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and older who had any difficulty with self care: 9.0% (2023)

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Obesity
  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with obesity (August 2021-August 2023)
    • Men ages 60 and older: 38.0%
    • Women ages 60 and older: 39.6%

Source: Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023

Hypertension
  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with hypertension (measured high blood pressure or taking high blood pressure medication) (2017-March 2020)
    • Men ages 65–74: 71.8%
    • Men age 75 and older: 83.2%
    • Women ages 65–74: 73.7%
    • Women age 75 and older: 84.1%

Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Published by: Health, United States.  and .

Life expectancy at 65 years
  • Both sexes: 19.5 years
  • Men: 18.2 years
  • Women: 20.7 years

Source: Mortality in the United States, 2023, Data Table for Figure 1

Mortality
  • Number of deaths of persons age 65 and older: 2,310,872
  • Deaths per 100,000 population:
    • 65–74: 1,809.6
    • 75–84: 4,345.5
    • 85 and older: 14,285.8

Source:

Leading causes of death among persons ages 65 and older
  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases)

Source:

Data are for the U.S.

Morbidity
  • Percent of adults who have ever been diagnosed with COPD, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis: 4.3% (2023)

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Physician office visits
  • Percent of visits to office-based physicians with COPD indicated on the medical record: 4.2%

Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2019 National Summary Tables, table 1 [PDF – 865 KB]

Emergency department visits
  • Number of visits to emergency departments with COPD as the primary diagnosis: 854,000

Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2022 National Summary Tables, table 11 [PDF – 1 MB]

Mortality

Chronic lower respiratory diseases (including asthma) deaths

  • Number of deaths: 162,639
  • Deaths per 100,000 population: 48.6
  • Cause of death rank: 5

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Bronchitis (chronic and unspecified) deaths

  • Number of deaths: 341
  • Deaths per 100,000 population: 0.1

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Emphysema deaths

  • Number deaths: 8,009
  • Deaths per 100,000 population: 2.4

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Other chronic lower respiratory diseases (excluding asthma) deaths

  • Number of deaths: 133,383
  • Deaths per 100,000 population: 39.8

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