People suffering from arthritis and osteoarthritis are encouraged to exercise at least 20 minutes per day.

A recent study found that most patients were not meeting even the minimal recommendation of low impact physical activity which is vital to their health.

“Even though they have joint disease, patients need to be reminded that physical activity is actually good for them,” Dunlop added. “People with arthritis should be as physically active as possible, even if they accomplish less than the recommended levels. When it comes to physical activity, there is good evidence that the benefits far outweigh the risks and being inactive is especially detrimental to health.”

As the baby boomers age they find themselves in good health looking forward to decades of life after retirement.

Some don’t even retire but continue in jobs they love or start up new ventures to fill the time in the golden years.

What to do when all of this energy and vitality doesn’t match the face in the mirror?

Plastic surgery is the answer for many.

There are as many reasons for getting plastic surgery as there are older patients, experts say. Some people are living longer and remaining healthier, and they want their physiques to align with their psyches. Some are preening for potential mates and want their feathers to look their freshest. Some are still working or looking for jobs and want to be seen as more youthful contenders.

Surveys show the vast majority of older drug addicts and alcoholics reported first using their substance of choice many years earlier.

However, older people metabolize alcohol differently from their younger counterparts causing more severe damage.

That lifelong use can lead to liver damage, memory loss, hepatitis and a host of other medical issues.

A minority of people find comfort in drugs and alcohol far later in life, fueled by drastic life changes, loneliness or legitimate physical pain.

Seniors use the drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism whether it is loss and loneliness or feeling of displacement.

Experts have observed a rise in illicit drug use, while treatment for alcohol has dropped even though it remains the chief addiction among older adults. The 2008 statistics show 59.9 percent of those 50 and older seeking treatment cited alcohol as their primary substance, down from 84.6 percent in 1992. Heroin came in second, accounting for 16 percent of admissions in that age group, more than double its share in the earlier survey. Cocaine was third, at 11.4 percent, more than four times its 1992 rate.