Socio-economic advantage does not reduce the risk of all diseases in later life. While wealth is generally associated with lower rates of communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases are often more prevalent among wealthier older adults, reflecting differences in lifestyle, longevity and disease detection.

Wealth Does Not Protect Against Every Disease in Old Age

The authors analysed nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI 2017–18) to examine disease patterns across socio-economic groups. They found that communicable diseases were more common among poorer older adults, whereas non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes were reported more frequently among wealthier groups. These contrasting patterns led the authors to conclude that socio-economic status influences different categories of disease in different ways.

Improving health outcomes for older adults requires more than reducing poverty. Public health strategies must recognise that communicable and non-communicable diseases follow different socio-economic patterns, requiring targeted prevention, screening and treatment rather than assuming that economic development alone will improve all aspects of health.