[Health inequalities among the aged].

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the current state of research concerning health inequalities among the aged. First, health inequalities are introduced as a general phenomenon. Then, the magnitude of inequalities in elderly populations is described for different health indicators. In particular, analyses of the association between education and depressive symptoms based on a European dataset are presented. Subsequently, different hypotheses on age differences in health inequalities and possible explanations for social inequalities in health in elderly populations are discussed. Finally, some consequences for health policy, which can be derived from current research, are outlined.