• Question: Are older people more likely to get diseases, if yes why?

    Asked by SophieL to Richard on 17 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Richard Unwin

      Richard Unwin answered on 17 Nov 2015:

      Hi Sophie. Good question

      Basically as we get past about 60, our body starts to work less well as wear and tear begin to take their toll (think of how well a car work after 200,000 miles, versus when it was new). This is why we we are more likely to get heart disease, cancers and dementia, so-called ‘diseases of ageing’, when things can start to ‘go wrong’. our immune system works less well too, so we’re more likely to get infections, coughs, colds, and they affect us more than when we were young.

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