Heart attacks, cancer and strokes are the three main causes of death in the developed world. As we age our chances of developing dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses such as osteoarthritis can also increase.

So what can we do to increase our chances of living a long and healthy life? 

Find out more in the articles in this section. We would welcome your feedback, at info@agewatch.org.uk 

Bone diseases in the elderly 

What is osteoarthritis? What causes it and how can we prevent it? How is it different from osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis? Who is most at risk from these bone diseases? Find out more

Cancer 

What are the most common types of cancer? What causes our genes to change and is there anything we can do to reduce the risk? What are the pros and cons of screening? Find out more

Can we prevent Alzheimer’s? 

Can physical and mental activity help protect us against Alzheimer’s? How important are a healthy diet and active social life in reducing the risk? Can smoking, obesity and depression actually increase our chances of developing Alzheimer’s? Find out more

Dementia 

What can cause dementia and what are the main symptoms? Is it possible to delay the onset of symptoms? What are the main risk factors and can we control them? Find out more

Dental health 

Can gum infection increase your risk of more serious illnesses? What are the main risk factors for gum disease? Does the risk rise as we get older? And what can we do to reduce the risks? Find out more

Type 2 diabetes 

What is type 2 diabetes and what are the main symptoms? Is there a link between our age and our chance of developing diabetes? What are the other risk factors and can we reduce the risk of getting it? Find out more

Flu 

What is flu? Who is most at risk of complications from flu and what precautions should we take? Is the flu vaccination useful or should we try complementary health remedies such as vitamin C and Echinacea? What should we do if we get flu? Find out more

Health Screening 

What are the best health screening tests? Can they bring any useful health benefits? Are there any risks from health screening? Find out more

Parkinson’s disease 

What is Parkinson’s disease and what causes it? What are the most common physical and mental symptoms? Is there anything we can do to reduce our chances of developing it? Find out more 

Quiz on illnesses 

How much do you know about illnesses? Take our short quiz to find out! 

Preventing heart attack 

What exactly is a heart attack? What are the main symptoms and what are the key risk factors that we need to be aware of? How can we reduce the risk of a heart attack? Find out more

Stroke prevention 

More than 150,000 people have a stroke each year in the UK. But what actually happens during a stroke? Who is at greatest risk and what can we do to reduce our chances of having a stroke? Can a healthy diet help to protect us? Find out more

Urinary incontinence 

What is urinary incontinence? Is it just an inevitable part of ageing or can it be prevented? Who might be affected by incontinence and what can we do to manage it? Find out more

Reviewed by Stephanie Reynolds June 2016, next review update June 2019