With age comes knowledge, wisdom and many new memories. However, aging also increases your risk of many different health ailments. This is part of the natural aging process, and the best thing you can do is to stay in good overall health and have a full annual checkup with your physician. There are certain ailments that people over a certain age become especially at risk for. Here are four health ailments that increase drastically with age that you will want to keep an eye out for.

1. Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and other countries, and your chance of developing this disease only increases with age. Obstruction in the form of blocked arteries can lead to heart attacks and strokes. An annual checkup is essential to monitoring your heart’s health. Heart-healthy meals can help you lower your risks and keep your heart from aging quickly.

2. High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, becomes a more common and more dangerous issue as you age. Blood pressure defines the amount of force that is placed on the walls of your arteries when your heart pumps blood. Blood pressure tends to naturally rise as you age, making it all the more dangerous to not keep an eye on it. Issues with blood pressure can stem to cause serious strain on your heart as well as issues with kidneys and blood vessels. Checking your blood pressure every month will help you get a handle on any issues before they rise out of control.

3. Cataracts and Macular Degeneration

Your eyesight naturally weakens as you age. This is nothing to be alarmed about. However, it is important to recognize the difference between vision naturally weakening and serious issues that you have a greater risk of developing as you age. Over half of people over the age of 65 will develop some type of cataracts. This is cloudiness in your eye that worsens over time. Macular degeneration happens when the eye’s macula begins to deteriorate, causing progressive vision loss. This becomes more common in people over the age of 50. Make sure you see your ophthalmologist every year and make an additional appointment as soon as you notice any changes in vision.

4. Cancer

While cancer can strike at any age, there are many types of cancer that you become more at risk of as you age. Skin, prostate, bladder, stomach, breast, and lunch cancer all become more common with age. In fact, 77% of cancer diagnoses happen to people who are over the age of 55. Again, making sure you get an annual checkup with your primary care physician is crucial to monitoring your risk of cancer.

Aging can make you more susceptible to certain health risks. This doesn’t have to be your reality. Be aware of disease you might be at a higher risk of and alter your diet and lifestyle accordingly. You can prevent them from manifesting and stay healthy even in your older years.