Why does hydration matter? Fluid balance,
the state in which fluid intake equals output, is
essential to health, regardless of a person’s age. In
older adults, adequate fluid consumption has been
associated with fewer falls, lower rates of constipation,
and lower rates of laxative use, as well as better
rehabilitation outcomes in orthopedic patients
and reduced risk of bladder cancer in men.
Drinking five or more 8-oz. glasses of water (but not
other liquids) per day has been associated with
lower rates of fatal coronary heart disease in middle age
and older adults than drinking two or fewer
glasses.6 And in one study, drinking 16 oz. of room temperature
water before a meal resulted in signify cantle lower rates of postprandial orthostatic
hypotension in older adults who had autonomic
failure