More than a third of older adults have undiagnosed high blood pressure, while almost half have undiagnosed high cholesterol, increasing their risk of stroke and dementia, a new study has found.
According to the researchers, unless this “significant” unmet need is addressed, the burden on the health system will become so acute that it will not be able to cope with demand.
The latest data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda) was published on Tuesday. It found “groundbreaking” findings in relation to growing health concerns amid Ireland’s ageing population.
Drawing on 14 years of longitudinal data from more than 8,000 adults aged 50 and older, the new report highlights widespread unmet needs in key areas such as cardiovascular disease prevention, falls and fracture care, osteoporosis treatment, chronic pain and mental health.
According to the research, some 36 per cent of older adults had undiagnosed hypertension (high blood pressure), while a further 50 per cent were on insufficient treatment for the condition. Furthermore, some 45 per cent had undiagnosed high cholesterol.
A third of older adults reported chronic pain, yet two-thirds of those with moderate to severe symptoms received no pain-relieving medication.
A total of 12 per cent of older adults had “clinically significant depressive symptoms”. However, fewer than half of these adults received appropriate treatment and more than 45 per cent of them had not reported their symptoms to any healthcare provider.
The research also highlighted the increasing burden falls are placing on the country’s health system, particularly in acute hospitals.
One in 10 adults aged 50 years and older in Ireland reported experiencing a fall in the past 12 months that was serious enough to require medical attention, the research found.
The likelihood of such falls increased with age: 7 per cent among those aged 50–64 years; 9 per cent among those aged 65 to 74 years; and 13 per cent among those aged 75 years and older. Additionally, one in 20 attended an emergency department due to a fall in the previous year.
“Falls and fracture prevention should therefore be a public health priority,” the report said.
Prof Rose Anne Kenny, principal investigator of Tilda, said there are real-life consequences to not meeting the needs of these people before it reaches crisis point.
“In the context of blood pressure, people need to think what they want their last 10 years to look like. When we explore that with people, there are two things that keep coming up: they want to be moving and they want memory,” she said.
“These are common things – high blood pressure and high cholesterol – are risk factors for stroke, for vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”
Prof Kenny said if the situation does not change, the prevalence of these illnesses will grow exponentially, putting unsustainable pressure on our health system.
“Over the next 15 years, we’re going to increase the number of people over the age of 60 by 60 per cent. That means it’s happening now. It’s a great thing that people are living longer, but there is a big gap between life expectancy and healthy lifespan; it’s nearly 13 years. We’re living longer with ill health,” she said.
She called for a “complete relook” at screening for these conditions, adding that they are “challenges we can address with the right health and social care systems in place”.