As people age their health deteriorates and they become more prone to diseases and chronic conditions. For instance, heart disease kills more Americans than any other ailment. Heart disease is correlated with advanced age. About 80% of deaths from heart disease are age 65 or older.
Cancer too is a disease of old age. Fewer than 25 cancer diagnosis per 100,000 population occurs in people under the age of 20. For those age 45 to 49 the rate of cancer per 100,000 people is 350. Once you reach age 60 cancer rates are triple, with more than 1,000 per 100,000 population.