ging of the population has become one of the major concerns in the health and social care of many countries. In this field, Estonia, like most countries in the Central and Eastern European region, faces a double challenge. First, there is little information about the prevalence of common diseases and syndromes among the elderly. Second, geriatric care in Estonia is poorly developed. At the same time, the population aging in Estonia is a rather fast process. The proportion of people aged 65 years or more is expected to grow from 14% in 2000 to 19-20% in 2030 (1). Given that the use of health care services of elderly people is approximately 2.5 times higher than their proportion among the total population (2,3), we can anticipate a significant increase in health care expenditures. To plan the development of health care for the elderly, it is important to assess their health needs.