The most significant health issues (and why they matter)-
Table of Contents
Obesity and Extreme Obesity Are on the Rise Throughout the World
Obesity rates are rising in countries and it is a significant health issue other than typically wealthy ones like the United States and the United Kingdom. Obesity rates have risen in various parts of the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in oil-rich countries, even though major portions of those people remain impoverished. According to CDC data, about 42% of adults aged 20 and older in the United States are obese, with 9.2% extremely obese. Obesity was found in 19.7% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years.
High blood pressure is the world’s leading cause of death.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a significant health issue worldwide, accounting for nearly 7.6 million deaths per year. The number of people aged 30-79 years living with hypertension has more than doubled in the last 30 years, rising from an estimated 331 million women and 317 million men in 1990 to 626 million women and 652 million men in 2019, with the majority of this increase occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
Tobacco Use and Smoking: Significant health issue
Bottom line: Do not smoke, chew tobacco, or vape if you do not want to die prematurely. Every year, tobacco kills almost 8 million people. More than 7 million of the deaths are caused by direct tobacco use, whereas around 1.2 million are caused by nonsmokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Almost every organ in the body has a significant health issue. It raises your chances of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and stroke. You are more prone to get tuberculosis, certain immunological illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, and erectile dysfunction if you smoke.
Diabetes: The Invisible Killer
Diabetes is characterized by consistently high blood glucose levels. Diabetes causes significant health issues to over 422 million people worldwide and is responsible for over 1.6 million deaths per year. Over 80% of significant health issues occurred in low- and middle-income nations. Uncontrolled diabetes gradually deteriorates neurons and blood vessels. For many years, symptoms may go unrecognized, yet the harm might eventually be fatal.
The Couch Potato’s Ascension
Humans are designed to be active. Multi-day hunting and gathering expeditions were vital for survival in ancient times. Dancing and traditional activities were important parts of festivals and trips to nearby villages to see family and friends could last several hours. Inactivity raises the chances of significant health issues like cardiovascular disease, certain malignancies, and diabetes.
The Surge of New Psychoactive Substances
For countless years, humans have used psychotropic chemicals. During religious rites, priests drank mixtures created from Amanita muscaria mushrooms, and physicians utilized opium for medical purposes. Nicotine, coffee, and alcohol continue to be the most widely consumed psychoactive chemicals on the planet. What is worrying in the “New World” is the rapid production of new psychoactive chemicals. These medicines are meant to avoid drug restrictions or produce a more potent “high” and are untested and freely available.
Breathing Can Be Harmful To Your Health
The American Lung Association released its twenty-third State of the Air report spanning the years 2017-2020 in 2022, and they discovered worrying trends related to climate change and increases in pollution. More than 40% of Americans have poor air quality, according to the report, and people of color are nearly two-thirds more likely than white individuals to reside in a county with poor air quality which causes significant health issues. Particle pollution is responsible for about 50,000 premature deaths per year. The most significant contributor is road transportation, followed closely by power generation.
COVID-19: Lockdowns, Thousands of Deaths, and Global Economic Chaos
The year 2020 will be known as the year COVID-19 first struck the world. Variants are still ubiquitous in our society over three years later for significant health issues.
Despite previous experience with animal-borne viruses such as SARS and MERS, the world was woefully unprepared for the magnitude of economic and social devastation inflicted by the virus. We were supposed to have planned ahead of time. It was only a matter of time before another virus outbreak occurred. Billions of dollars had been invested around the world to prepare for the inevitable next pandemic. Antivirals and personal protective equipment were stockpiled by health officials. Schools and hospitals were given instructions on how to prepare. Millions of brochures were distributed to advise on how to prepare the household.
Abuse of Substances
Substance abuse is commonly associated with the use of drugs and alcohol. These aren’t usually associated with elders, but seniors, like young people, may self-medicate with legal and illegal drugs and alcohol, which can have significant health issues. Furthermore, seniors may purposefully or unintentionally mix drugs with alcohol. Many medical professionals fail to ask seniors about probable substance misuse because of preconceived notions about senior persons.
HIV/AIDS
Seniors over the age of 50 accounts for 11 to 15% of AIDS is a significant health issue in the United States. AIDS in persons over 50 increased more than twice as quickly as in younger adults between 1991 and 1996. Seniors are unlikely to use condoms since their immune systems normally deteriorate with age, and HIV symptoms (fatigue, weight loss, dementia, skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes) are similar to those associated with aging. Again, assumptions about aging in terms of sexual activity and drug usage keep these significant health issues hidden. As a result, seniors are underrepresented in research, clinical medication trials, preventative initiatives, and intervention activities.
