Elderly people with "three highs" can also be healthy elderly people as long as they meet these conditions

An elderly friend told Huazi that after he retired, his blood pressure became high and his blood lipids were abnormal. He was now sick all over. It was too difficult for the elderly to stay healthy. Huazi said that he had a misunderstanding of "healthy elderly". The elderly cannot expect their bodies to be like those of young people and not have any problems at all.

In fact, even if you have the "three highs" chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar, as long as you can meet several requirements of the "Chinese Healthy Elderly Standards", you can still be a healthy elderly person and enjoy a happy and long life in your later years.

1. Chronic diseases can be controlled and have no complications

As we age, our bodies will inevitably decline. Multiple organs and systems such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and digestion will decline; related indicators such as blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar will become abnormal. These are all "normal phenomena" related to age.

Through the rational use of drugs, lifestyle intervention and other methods, the "three highs" can be controlled, the normal physiological functions of the body can be maintained, and long-term stability can be maintained, which is a healthy state. Many people believe that "not taking any medicine at all is healthy", which is not applicable to assessing the health of the elderly.

Elderly people with "three highs" need to keep their blood pressure stable for a long time at below 140/90 mmHg, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at below 6.5%, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in blood lipids at below 2.6 mmol/L. This can prevent the occurrence of complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary heart disease, etc. without affecting their daily life.

At the same time, you should eat a healthy diet, control salt intake to 3-6 grams per day, oil intake to 25 grams per day, and added sugar to no more than 50 grams per day. Eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, eat less refined rice and refined noodles, insist on exercising, and maintain your weight. You can maintain your body's immunity and have disease resistance that is no less than that of young people.

2. Have normal cognitive abilities and maintain mental health

As we age, our brain functions deteriorate, and it is normal for our memory to decline and become forgetful. As long as we can read a clock, know our way home, read and write, and calculate grocery bills, we have good cognitive abilities, which is a sign of good health.

Communicating more with people, doing more outdoor activities, reciting ancient poems and pi, etc. can all promote brain function and reduce cognitive decline.

After retirement, the elderly have a declining social value and a reduced sense of existence, which makes them prone to psychological problems. They are prone to anxiety symptoms such as insomnia and early awakening, or depression symptoms caused by long-term low mood. The elderly should do more self-regulation, obtain more information, participate in more social activities, do not lose touch with society, and maintain a positive and healthy mentality.

3. Self-care can help you handle social relationships well

The elderly may experience various minor symptoms in their bodies, such as pain caused by bone and joint degeneration, osteoporosis, neurosis caused by menopause in women, and abnormal urination caused by prostate hyperplasia in men. Although these minor symptoms may interfere with life, they will not affect life expectancy.

These minor symptoms can be alleviated by using symptomatic medications, and the elderly should learn to coexist with them. As long as it does not affect their ability to take care of themselves, they are healthy elderly people.

When facing family and social relationships, you can adopt a confident, positive and optimistic approach to solve problems instead of using negative emotions such as pessimism and anger. Being able to establish good social relationships with others is also a sign of health for the elderly.

To sum up, the definition of a healthy elderly is different from that of a young person. Even if you have the "three highs" chronic diseases, as long as they can be stably controlled, no other major diseases occur, you can take care of yourself, and you have no cognitive impairment or psychological problems, you are a healthy elderly. Drugs must be used under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions about medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.