To say most people....

[TinaTeaspoons]

Have a long term health condition by the time they are 40?
DH has UC and RA both diagnosed within 2 years of each other in his thirties. He turned 38 yesterday and gone on a downward spiral despite both conditions being managed well. I think it was because at his party yesterday, he couldn't drink (due to his meds) or dance with the rest of us. Trying to make him feel better and see that many people have long term health concerns which may not be visible.

I think it's wrong to equate a long term condition with age. Yes some are related, but I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid at 30.

I know a lot of people with autoimmune disorders that kicked off very soon after 40. If you factor in things like severe asthma, obesity and severe mental health issues I'd say the answer to OP is yes.

But as this thread illustrates, the well live in a silo. I don't think the constant fear and worry occurs to them.

As for class, wealthier people more likely to be successfully diagnosed a lot of the time.

There are a lot of health conditions out there you can do nothing about.

Yes this has happened to me. I am 61 and, AFAIK, have no health conditions and am not on any medications. Whenever I am asked this question by health professionals they look surprised that I am not taking anything.

DH is 65 and much the same, although he has just started to get arthritis in his hand. About 4 years ago he had to got to the GP with a minor problem and they realised that they hadn't seen him in about 20 years and were incredulous and insisted on him having all sorts of tests for age related issues. He was quite indignant!

I didn't have any problems until I turned 50, am now 55 and don't have too much wrong really. Dh is nearly 60 and has 2 long term conditions which seriously affect his quality of life - severe asthma controlled with expensive injections on the NHS and Osteoarthritis affecting a number of joints. Out of my close group of friends ( about 6 of us and all aged 55) only one has serious health problems.

More to do with genes than class I would say.

I eat healthy, good fruit, lots of organic & low stress life. I earn £13500 so poor in comparison to most (from an income pov).

I think it depends on your outlook. If asked if I have any long term health conditions I’d say none but then thinking about it, I have asthma but it’s triggered by specific allergies (latex) so it’s a thing but not age related and rarely impacts on my life. My iron levels drop but that is sorted with regular iron tablets. Someone would describe these as conditions but I don’t see them as that. After hitting 40 life got harder but that was external circumstances (mostly work stress). I’m not sure I could party until 4am then go to work like in my 20s though.

I have a few friends with long term health conditions - lupus, ehlers danlos, MS - but most of us don’t, all mid 40s. But DH died of cancer in his 30s, so a short term health condition I suppose 😭

Sorry to hear that, st j, I hope you are ok. I'm worried about this experience for my forties. Not sure I want to be around afterwards. Anyway, changes everything once you go through the door and see this part of the world.

I'm 48 so my siblings and vast majority of friends are late 40s too, one friend has IBS which was diagnosed in 30s but that's it. Sorry about your husband, I'm sure this thread won't help but sounds like he's had really bad luck, hope things improve.

💐

Sometimes I’m okay, sometimes not so much. Here for my DC primarily at the mo, tbh.

But as this thread illustrates, the well live in a silo. I don't think the constant fear and worry occurs to them.

@Torven No this thread does not illustrate that at all.

It indicates that people's experience varies greatly - some people are unfortunate enough to develop health conditions early in life and others are lucky enough to potter along in to old age before things start to wear out.

This thread is far from a statistical survey so we cannot arrive at any conclusion from this as to how common or uncommon it is to have health problems on early middle age.

For all we know your statement could be turned on its head and it is actually the unwell who are in a silo and the rest are more usual.

I don't know. But you are right that a lot of conditions are invisible. The only outward clue that mine is flaring is a droopy eyelid! (Ptosis)

I think statistically yes there is a greater prevalence of chronic illness in more deprived areas.

But on an individual level all the wealth and health in the world won't necessarily protect you. I was boringly healthy before I became ill, size 8 and I loved fitness (but not excessively) . And as someone else said, if anything my (relative) wealth is probably the reason I have been diagnosed at all, as it is a rare condition and it took a private neurologist to diagnose when GPs were dismissive . I suspect many people with my condition are never diagnosed and just wonder why they struggle

Well impossible to disentangle genes or class really as we have low social mobility. But diet etc and epigenetic factors are probably more important than genes. So a baby adopted into a wealthy family might be less likely to trigger certain predispositions. Obviously unethical to experiment though.

So sorry to hear that @StJulian2023 .

Also class is relevant as low control or heavy labour jobs age and stress you more. So your body is worn out sooner, also less likely to have good health care.

@Boomboom22 . That's true. Also if I had a physical job I would have had to give it up, whereas a desk based /hybrid career means only a few colleagues even need to know I have a health condition . So the same condition can feel far more "disabling" depending on what kind of work you do

Not most people I know! I'm 49, my husband 51 and we're both totally healthy, none of my friends are on any medication but my sil is overweight and on Metformin, that's mainly because she's totally not bothered to change her diet though. So no, in my experience not most people at all

Your DH's conditions are both autoimmune disorders - and painful; I'm sorry he's having to cope with them @TinaTeaspoons.

A lot of autoimmune diseases start very gently, often around puberty. You have a few glitches, maybe some illnesses that get put down to a virus, hangover, stress or whatever. As time passes, the same cluster of symptoms seem to be occurring more frequently and intensely. You try really hard not to join the dots until it forces you to.

A fair few of his same-age pals will be in that phase now: denial dressed up as "aches & pains, haha, comes to us all" and "yeah, a holiday will see me right". I know I was putting all my faith in a tougher exercise regime (which was actually making me worse, but I wasn't looking at the dots!)

The UK Crohn's & Colitis UK charity reports at least 1 in every 227 people in the UK has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The majority seek diagnosis before the age of 25, so he did actually get a late start with that one. Small comfort, but still.

I'm not that keen on being the misery who loves company, but I really understand how he feels like the unlucky one. He is, but it's also true that more of his friends will be stumbling than he knows.

I agree with you OP that the older you get the more likely it seems and 30s were definitely when my health began to worsen. Also unfortunately once you have one autoimmune disorder you are get more likely to get other ones. I have 2, my best friend has 1. For us tho pregnancy seems to have been the major triggering factor. I can tell you for my rare autoimmune disorder that there are many, many of us in our 30s or even younger and your husband is not alone. It’s shitty and it sucks. I don’t drink at all as it’s so not worth it with an autoimmune disorder but I do still go out with my husband who drinks still. I hope in time your husband feels more comfortable going out with you all again.

Blood clots on my lungs at 39 and now on blood thinners for life (4 years so far). So he's not alone but I'm not sure it's usual.

Read the recent report on people in their 49's being frail and at risk from falls, in Blackpool. Then read the life expectancy of men in Glasgow compared with more affluent areas. Class/poverty/stress/rubbish food etc impact health.
In my social circle/people who I grew up around its been 50-55 when health has started to go downhill.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-05-06-autoimmune-disorders-found-affect-around-one-ten-people Report on a large-scale UK study, 2023.

Yes

Dh is 61 and healthy as can be.. kayaks, cycles and just has one damaged knuckle that hurts after he's kayaked 10 miles!
I'm 55, and have osteoarthtis in my back and hip.. but that's years of quite physical work with disabled children so not surprising...it doesn't stop me walking miles with the dog but I do take meds .

My kids on the other hand: Two have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and one has Ulcerative Colitis and is on immuno suppressants and other meds. Just bad luck!