Vienna, Austria: People aged 85 years and over have a high
burden of respiratory disease, according to new findings. The
research has shed light on the health problems likely to be
encountered by the ageing population. The research, presented
today (3 September 2012) at the European Respiratory Society's
annual Congress in Vienna, aimed to investigate the respiratory
health of people at the extremes of the ageing population. The
analysis revealed that overall, 20% of men and 21% of women had
either asthma or COPD. 59% of men and 50% of women showed
airflow obstruction when they undertook a spirometry test to
measure lung function. People aged 85 years and over are the
fastest growing age group worldwide. As many chronic diseases
are more common in older people, population ageing results in a
higher number of people living with chronic conditions. Chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major
illnesses affecting the elderly. As more people are living
longer, it is likely that the number of c