People age 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. In the 2010 census 16% of the population, 50 million people, were age 65 and older. That number is projected to increase to 66 million by the year 2050. Life expectancy has also increased, with recent CDC reports indicating life expectancy at 77.9 years. Age-adjusted death rates have decreased significantly with the largest changes occurring in older patients. Despite these trends, the 10 leading causes of death include several pulmonary etiologies including lung cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, influenza...
People age 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. In the 2010 census 16% of the population, 50 million people, were a...
