Health status of the older population in Estonia

To assess the prevalence of physical, depressive, and cognitive disorders in the elderly population in Estonia.

The prevalence of various common morbidities was determined by a questionnaire sent to 200 general practitioners (GP). GPs were asked to collect data, use medical records, and interview five randomly selected patients (a total of 1,000 people aged 65 years or older). Physical morbidities of older persons were assessed according to their self-reports and reports of their general practitioners. Depressive symptoms and cognitive status were determined by 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale and Mini Mental State Examination, respectively. Response rate was 81%.

The prevalences of diseases were as follows: hypertension 63.2%, arthritis 61.3%, ischemic heart disease 56.5% (history of myocardial infarction, 9.8%), heart failure 41.4%, heart rhythm disorders 37.5%, hypercholesterolemia 25.4%, kidney and/or urinary disorders 20.5%, osteoporosis 15.5%, diabetes mellitus 14.9%, chronic airway diseases 13.8% (emphysema 5.8%, asthma 5.5%), hypotension 11.1%, gastroduodenal peptic ulcers 10.6%, thyroid diseases 8.9%, malignant tumors 8.1%, psychiatric disorders 5.7%, and stroke 5.3%. Depressive symptoms were found in 40.3% and cognitive impairment in 22.5% of the elderly persons.

The general structure of diseases in the Estonian elderly population is similar to that of other European countries, but the prevalence of cardiovascular, depressive, and cognitive disorders is much higher.