title: [Health and disability in the elderly: old paradigms and future prospects].
abstract: The projections regarding the ageing of the Italian population are cause for great concern; however, the ageing scenario may actually be interpreted in a more optimistic way. Theories formulated in the 80s envisaging a decline of mortality, morbidity and disability in the elderly are now confirmed and prefigure an unexpected decrease in disability rates in the elderly population. The aim of this review is to attempt to explain the reasons for this by analyzing the role played by the various determinants of health, in particular social isolation, which are likely to play an important role in the future as well.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina e Prevenzione, Università Tor Vergata di Roma.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liotta
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancinelli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scarcella
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pompei
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mastromattei
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cutini
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marazzi
authors.forename: Ersilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buonomo
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palombi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gilardi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004032:Diet; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends*; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors