A third of Greeks ‘old by 2020’
Nearly one-third (28 percent) of Greeks are expected to be aged over 65 by the year 2020, according to a study by the National Center for Social Research (EKKE) which says health services will have to be upgraded significantly to cope with an increase in illnesses. «The state must focus on both health and education as the level of education of citizens is a significant factor in the efficient use of health services,» said Yiannis Iphantopoulos, EKKE’s president. Women aged over 65 constitute the highest-risk group, according to EKKE, which said seven out of 10 have blood circulation problems, the cause of half of all deaths in Greece. «We expect an increase in heart attacks over the next few years while one in three women appears to be susceptible to depression,» said Christos Lionos of the University of Crete. Experts agreed that women take more medicines than men, often without prescription. But despite this grim outlook, two-thirds from a sample of 2,500 elderly people interviewed in Attica claimed that their health was good, EKKE said.
