The elderly population in the Netherlands has grown strongly. From 1900 to 2005 the number of people aged 65 years and older increased from 300,000 to 2.3 million with an increase in octogenarians from 35,000 to 573,000.
1The most important cause of this growth since 1900 is the increase in life expectancy. In the decades to come this growth will continue. Important causes are the increase in life expectancy and the ageing of the post World War II baby boom (1946-1970). The latter will cause a bigger increase than before. The increase in the elderly population is associated with an increase in diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases.
2 In 2005, a quarter of the patients admitted to hospital and 62% of the patients who died because of ischaemic cardiac disease (including acute myocardial infarction) were older than 75 years.
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