Today is your day Boomer! As I prepare for open heart surgery next week, Baby Boomer "health" is on my mind. There are 76 million of us in Canada and the US, and many of us are greatly concerned with our retired years being happy and healthy. With that in mind, here are the top 10 health concerns for Boomers. According to Dr. Christopher Cutter of Scripps Healthcare, Type 2 Diabetes is the biggest concern; he says diabetes "increases the risk of serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, vision loss, kidney disease, nerve damage, foot problems, amputation and cardiovascular disease". Number two is heart disease, which is my problem and the biggest killer of both men and women over 60; "heart disease risk falls significantly when people avoid tobacco use, control their blood pressure and cholesterol through exercise and a low-fat, low-sodium diet and maintain a healthy body weight." Cancer and Alzheimers are three and four, with depression in 5th place and "Sandwich Generation Stress" next. What is that? "In addition to caring for their own families, many boomers are caring for elderly parents. The stress of being a dual caregiver can be significant, especially on those who are also working, struggling financially or dealing with other challenges". Joint replacement comes in at number 7, with weakening bones next: "osteoporosis is mostly found in women 65 and older and men over 70. It occurs when the density and quality of their bones have significantly decreased. Often called a silent disease, many people with osteoporosis don’t know they have it until they break a bone". Coming last are flu, pneumonia, and still with us....COVID. What a list Boomers! Do your regular checkups, exercise, and be proactive. Cheers.

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