A sudden drop in the hormones estradiol and progesterone , for example, lead to menopause at about age 50. Metastatic tumors are more common. Depression Depression , stress , and grief are common causes of mental impairment that are transient and treatable. Depression in older people is often overlooked because symptoms are confused with those of a medical illness. Although older adults may have difficult experiences such as changes in health status, relocation, or loss of loved ones, if the sadness that follows one of these life changes lingers for a long period of time, it may be diagnosed as clinical depression.
Depression has serious consequences.
It takes the pleasure out of daily life, aggravates other medical conditions by compromising immune function, and can even lead to suicide. In fact, older adults are considered the group most at risk for suicide. Circulatory Disorders Ischemic Stroke - Circulatory disorders, such as heart problems or stroke can restrict the oxygen available to brain cells by reducing blood flow. The most common type of stroke is called an ischemic stroke, which is the result of a blood clot that has traveled to the brain and has lodged in a vessel or capillary. The result is that brain cells die from lack of oxygen.