Larson E B
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
Geriatrics. 1988 Dec;43 Suppl:31-9.
Lengthened life expectancy, along with the increased chance that much time in late life may be spent with disabilities and terminal dependency, suggests the need for increased efforts in health promotion and disease prevention in elderly persons. Both goals can be achieved, partly through programs that stress both screening and early detection of some diseases, such as cancer, and decreasing the risk factors of others, such as hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Efforts also need to be addressed at other common sources of disability and dysfunction like osteoporosis, falls, and fractures. Exercise is an important factor in such programs in order to extend active life expectancy and enhance vigor in later life. Habitual exercise is, however, one of the least prevalent of all the health promotion activities. A carefully designed exercise program that includes education about the reasons for exercise, as well as the proper methods of exercise, could considerably change the health profile of the individual patient and the increasing population over age 65 in this country.
预期寿命的延长，以及晚年可能有更多时间处于残疾和晚期依赖状态的可能性增加，这表明需要加大力度促进老年人的健康和预防疾病。这两个目标都可以部分通过一些项目来实现，这些项目既强调对某些疾病（如癌症）的筛查和早期检测，又降低其他疾病（如高血压、心脏病和中风）的风险因素。还需要关注其他导致残疾和功能障碍的常见因素，如骨质疏松症、跌倒和骨折。运动是这类项目中的一个重要因素，以便延长积极的预期寿命并增强晚年的活力。然而，习惯性运动是所有健康促进活动中最不普遍的活动之一。一个精心设计的运动项目，包括关于运动原因以及正确运动方法的教育，可能会极大地改变个体患者以及该国65岁以上不断增加的人口的健康状况。
