Although nearly half of Americans age 65 and older report above-average health, nearly 97.5 percent of seniors have at least one chronic disease, according to Professional Research Consultants' recent national health survey.
For the survey, researchers asked 1,000 Americans age 65 and older health-related questions.
Here are five findings.
1. More than four in 10 respondents (45.5 percent) said their overall health is "excellent" or "very good." A smaller number (30.4 percent) said their health is "good," and 24.1 percent reported "fair" or "poor" health.
2. More than 33 percent of respondents said they have some type of health-related activity limitation. Among low-income seniors, that number is 54.6 percent.
3. More than 31 percent of respondents said they don't participate in a leisure-time physical activity.
4. The survey found 22.1 percent of respondents are currently a caregiver to a friend or family member with a health problem, long-term illness or disability.
5. Nearly all respondents (96.5 percent) experience at least one chronic condition, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease or chronic back pain. More than 68 percent have three or more chronic conditions concurrently.
More articles on population health:
Neighborhood factors can predict risk of heart failure
NFL allocates $17M to support NIH concussion research
US cancer deaths continue to decline: 5 report findings