The concept and treatment of locomotive syndrome: its acceptance and spread in Japan

Abstract In 2009, the average lifespan of a Japanese male was 79.6 years and that of a female was 86.4 years. This was the highest in the world; about 60 years ago, the average in the Japanese population was approximately 50 years. It is thus apparent that Japan has rapidly been becoming an aged society. In 2010 there were 29,440,000 individuals age 65 or older; this number will increase steadily, and is expected to reach 38,630,000 by 2042. By 2055 the elderly are expected to account for 40.5% of the country's total population.

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