ABOUT THIS BOOK

Seniors today find themselves living in a time when rapid changes in health care delivery have made vital decisions about when and how best to obtain medical treatment difficult and confusing to navigate. At the same time, seniors proportionately need more health care services, have a higher incidence of chronic disease, and take more medications than any other demographic—and yet have the lowest rate of health literacy.

In this short, easy-to-read book designed as a concise but effective healthcare guide, Dr. Harold Kennedy, with more than 60 years of experience practicing medicine, guides readers through the healthcare maze faced by many seniors. While the information in this book is not intended to diagnose or treat ailments, it will give readers a valuable foundation of health literacy, crucial in making good decisions regarding their health and medical care services, and that of their loved ones.

Written expressly to help persons aged 60 years and older, Aging and Health for the US Elderly: A Health Primer for Ages 60 to 90 is essential reading for all older Americans. Chapter topics include health risk factors; social determinants of disease; best practices; and up-to-date prevention, surveillance, and wellness, with special chapters tailored specifically for women and for men. Coverage also includes an overview of the U.S. health care system, both its history and the current state of affairs. Scientific validity of the evidence is provided by more than 180 references.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Harold L. Kennedy, M.D. M.P.H has more than 60 years of experience as a general practitioner, internal medicine physician, cardiologist, epidemiologist, and preventive medicine physician. He is currently a Professor (adjunct) at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He is the author or coauthor of over two hundred journal articles and 30 book chapters, and his books include Electrocardiography and Cardiac Drug Therapy and Ambulatory Electrocardiography. He presently lives in St. Louis, Missouri, Taos, New Mexico and Serifos,Greece.

REVIEWS

“Dr. Harold Kennedy is a nationally renowned cardiologist and public health expert who has been a leader in cardiovascular medicine for decades. His comprehensive book is a health primer for adults age 60 and older. Dr. Kennedy’s book will be of value to physicians and other health care professionals who take care of patients in this age range, and to laypersons who can use a concise reference to health issues that they or their family members may face.”—From the Foreword by Roger S. Blumenthal, MD, FACC, FAHA; The Kenneth Jay Pollin Professor of Cardiology; Director, Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

“Dr. Kennedy has written an excellent and concise primer to help older adults understand the aging process, navigate the US healthcare system, and improve their own health. I recommend it highly as an important source of health care guidance for this burgeoning population.”—Jerome L. Fleg, MD, Medical Officer, Longitudinal Study of Aging, National Institutes of Health.

“A very important resource and guide for health care for this rapidly growing population, in an easily understood style for discussion of these problems.”—Dr. Leslie Miller, Cardiology Specialist, co-editor of Stem Cell and Gene Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease, and co-author of Mechanical Circulatory Support

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

List of Illustrations

Foreword by Roger S. Blumenthal, MD, FACC, FAHA

Part I. Primer of Health Literacy

Chapter One. Introduction to Part I

Chapter Two. Life’s Cycle

Chapter Three. Comorbidities

Chapter Four. Medical Eras

Chapter Five. The US Health Care System in 2020

Part II. The Elderly Health Pyramid

Chapter Six. Introduction to Part II

Chapter Seven. Prevention, Surveillance, and Wellness

Chapter Eight. Genetics, Lifestyle and, Preventive Measures

Chapter Nine. Physical Health of Elderly Men

Chapter Ten. Physical Health of Elderly Women

Chapter Eleven. Psycho-Social Determinants of Disease

Part III. Concluding Remarks

Chapter Twelve. Conclusion

References

Index

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