dr. lipson: after... ten, 15 years, in patients who haven't taken care of themselves as well as one might like, one starts seeing complications. the complications i'm talking about are the chronic complications which are largely neurologic and vascular. and these complications are varied. one can see large vessel complications, when i mean large vessel, i mean large arteries which have catastrophic effects, such as heart arteries, the coronary arteries, the carotid arteries, the arteries of the lower extremities. these can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction, and blockages of the legs, and lead to the loss of a limb. about 50% of the elderly population suffers from some form of arthritis, a disease that causes the joints to become stiff and painful. osteoarthritis commonly affects joints around the hands, wrists, hips, and knees. ...this is a special condition where the cartilage of the body undergoes degeneration. the cartilages in the body work as shock absorbers in the joints. they enable a joint to