Top 5 baby boomer health trends

Babyboomer focus on the top five trends in health and wellness, the generation born between 1946 and 1964.

No. 1: “Boomeritis”

"Boomeritis" is a term used by some orthopedic doctors seeing high rates of tendinitis, arthritis, tears and fractures among baby boomers. Experts don't want these weekend warriors to stop exercising, but they recommend focusing on flexibility and include nonweight-bearing activities such as swimming and cycling.

No. 2: Brain games 

Studies show that games can help keep an aging mind healthy. Many baby boomers are playing video games designed to improve memory and attention -- exercise equipment for the brain.

Peng and her colleagues analyzed the energy expenditure, heart rate and oxygen consumption of study participants playing exergames. They found the energy used was equivalent to the energy used doing light-to-moderate intensity activity, although games that involved the whole body, including the lower half, exerted a lot more energy than those that required only simple arm movements.

For this reason, active video games may be best for the elderly population, according to the National Council on Strength and Fitness. A study published in 2010 found exergames improved mobility, dexterity, coordination and provided a distraction from pain in nursing home residents.

"This is a good tool for them," Peng says. "They really cannot engage in vigorous levels of activity. They may go for walks but in the wintertime it's kind of hard, so video games are especially good."

"Findings suggest that while those games are good if you want to motivate those that are really sedentary... we cannot really rely (only) on these games." says study author Wei Peng.

The most popular exergames this season include "UFC," "Your Shape" and "MiCoach." Also selling well are dance games like "Dance Central" and "Zumba" and athletic games such as "EA Sports Active." He suggests looking for gaming systems that track your whole body's movement like the Kinect if you're hoping to break a sweat.

No. 3: Sexually transmitted diseases 

Rates of some STDs have doubled in 10 years in this age group. Divorced baby boomers rejoining the dating pool, no longer concerned about pregnancy, may need a refresher course on safe sex, experts say.

New research published Thursday by the British Medical Journal shows that 80% of 50 to 90 years olds are sexually active.  And with that, cases of sexually transmitted diseases have more than doubled in this age group over the past 10 years.In general, older people are really enjoying their sexuality. People can be sexual throughout their lives, until the day they die.

The authors of the BMJ editorial also note that older women are more vulnerable physiologically.  “Post-menopausal changes to the vagina, such as thinning of the mucosa, narrowing and shortening of the vagina, and decreased lubrication leave women more vulnerable to minor genital injuries and microabrasions that facilitate the entry of pathogens,” they write.

Kerner is quick to point out that the 50+ age group is one of the fastest-growing demographics for online dating. “They wouldn’t even necessarily classify themselves as older,” he says. “It’s often the second time around for them. They’ve been married, have adult children, and they don’t have the same concerns or the same stressors that other people might face.”

Interestingly, one study found that men aged 40+ who were taking drugs for erectile dysfunction were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an STD in their first year of usage. However, that same study also found that those same men were significantly more likely to be diagnosed in the year prior to starting the medication. That suggests the drug doesn’t so much alter the risk-taking behavior, but rather facilitates it.

Older men can be wary of condom use because it can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Women assume since they’re above child-bearing years that condoms are unnecessary.If you’re really going to do something about it.you have to be tested for herpes and other viruses. Now, you have to request that. They’re not in routine blood tests. [They] should make it routine.

No. 4: Hepatitis C

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended this year that all baby boomers get tested for hepatitis C because about one in 30 are infected, but many don't know it. Oftentimes there are no symptoms, but left untreated, hepatitis C can cause liver cancer and cirrhosis.

It's a "silent epidemic," an "unrecognized health crisis," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it's affecting 2.1 million baby boomers in the United States. Currently the CDC recommends Hepatitis C test only for those who are at-risk - people who participated in intravenous drug use or had a blood transfusion before 1992, when screening was implemented.

Hepatitis is usually spread through blood. Transmission through sexual content can happen but the risk is low. It's caused by viral infections, the most common being Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.  Vaccines are available for Hepatitis A and B, but a Hepatitis C vaccine remains elusive, although research is underway.

In 2007, approximately 17,000 new Hepatitis C virus infections were diagnosed in the United States. The CDC estimates that 3.2 million Americans have chronic Hepatitis C and more than 75% don't know it because they aren't experiencing any symptoms.  Baby boomers represent the majority of cases - more than 75%, and are five times more likely to be infected than other adults.

Approximately 20% of people with Hepatitis C will never develop symptoms and will conquer the disease without treatment. The rest can be treated with antiviral medications intended to clear the virus from the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. CDC research suggests implementing this one-time test could help identify an additional 800,000 people living with the disease, and prevent 120,000 deaths.

No. 5: Free preventive care 

Screening for hepatitis, mammograms, counseling to help quit smoking or treat depression, flu shots and other preventive care may be covered under most health insurance plans. Now it's up to boomers to use them.