WASHINGTON, April 2 (UPI) -- Most U.S. baby boomers underestimate their chance of getting a chronic disease such as heart disease by age 65, the Alliance for Aging Research said.
Nearly nine out of 10 Americans will have at least one chronic condition by age 65, but a survey conducted this month by Roper/GfK found just 4 percent of Americans select the correct range -- 81 percent to 90 percent -- from a set of possible answers.
Just 10 percent of the American public correctly estimated their chances of getting cardiovascular disease -- 61 percent to 70 percent -- by retirement age.
"It is obvious from this survey that Americans are uninformed when it comes to their susceptibility to chronic diseases as they age," said Daniel Perry, executive director of Alliance for Aging Research.
"Our society is both aging and living longer. Unfortunately, life after age 65 for most people means an increasing risk of developing age-related chronic diseases."
The Roper Public Affairs poll of 1,000 U.S. adults has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.7 percentage points.
