Free The Everything Guide to Herbal Remedies by Martha Schindler Connors Page A

pressure (hypertension) and osteoarthritis continue to plague seniors. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in older Americans and are also responsible for roughly two-thirds of all health care costs (and 95 percent of seniors’ health care expenditures). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 80 percent of American seniors are living with at least one chronic condition, and 50 percent have at least two.
    In the absence of disease, aging is a fairly noneventful process, and many people can maintain their regular activities for many years after retirement. Getting older doesn’t necessarily mean losing your health. In fact, many of the things that were once thought of as “normal” signs of aging, like wrinkles, cataracts, and arthritis, are now known to be signs of a disease process (or evidence of exposure to environmental factors that can be avoided).
    The most common chronic conditions—including hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke—cause pain, disability, and loss of functioning (and independence) for millions of people, and many produce cumulative and potentially fatal damage if left untreated.
    Herbal medicine is uniquely suited to treating and preventing many of the chronic conditions that affect seniors. That’s because herbs work gently—and synergistically—within the body instead of attacking a single problem or masking symptoms. They work with your body’s own processes, not against them, meaning they support your body’s efforts to maintain health and help your body defend itself against a disease instead of attacking the disease itself.
Seniors and Health
    Seniors have a unique set of health concerns. Their bodies are different from anyone else’s, they’re prone to different diseases and conditions, and in many cases their attitudes toward health care are different, too.
    Aging produces changes in body weight and composition—both men and women typically get heavier as they enter the senior ranks, then tend to lose weight as they move into their seventies. As you get older, your body also becomes less efficient at regulating blood pressure, body temperature, and the balance of fluids.
    Some diseases that are common in older people can disrupt cell production. For example, Alzheimer’s disease can cause the premature death of brain cells, and Parkinson’s disease can kill off too many nerve cells. In contrast, cancer slows normal cell death and allows cancer cells to multiply and spread instead of dying off like they’re supposed to. All of these changes affect how you live—how much and what kind of exercise you do, for example—as well as your health care needs.
    Like any other segment of the population, seniors have a specific set of concerns regarding health care. But not all seniors are the same. No two people age at the same rate, and even within one person, not all body systems change in perfect harmony.
    Seniors typically metabolize medicines, whether herbal or pharmaceutical, differently than younger people.
    For example, because seniors typically weigh less and have a greater percentage of body fat, they have less lean muscle. As the ratio of body fat increases, the body reacts differently to drugs and other substances that are metabolized in fatty tissue, meaning that these substances typically remain in the body longer and thus may have stronger effects. Other substances accumulate because kidney function declines as people age. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are more likely to cause gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney problems in seniors.
    Many pharmaceuticals used by seniors can interact with herbs. For example, blood thinners and anticlotting agents can interact with Asian ginseng
(Panax ginseng),
dong quai
(Angelica sinensis),
ginkgo
(Ginkgo biloba),
ginger
(Zingiber officinale),
feverfew
(Tanacetum parthenium),
and garlic
(Allium sativum).
Heart medications like digoxin (Lanoxin) can