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It was comedian Groucho Marx who said: "Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough". But what Groucho didn't say but most doctors stress is that exercise is important if we want to live long enough and to have quality of life. In Slovakia, more and more women are finding that a good work-out in the gym can make them look and feel younger. Katarina Richterova put on her leotards and went to join them:

Statistics show that twelve percent of Czechs are now over sixty-five years old. Nothing exceptional about this, but the number will rise significantly when a big group of Czechs who are now in their fifties reaches retirement age, putting a bigger strain on the state budget and on relatives.

We've been hearing how Central Europe's aging population is expected to put a strain on budgets and care facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic. But in Slovenia, there's a new twist to this old story. Slovenia has the lowest fertility rate in the entire European Union according to the European Statistics Office. And although the population is slowly increasing due to immigration, the country is undergoing a very noticeable demographic shift. And, this "greying" of Slovenia is expected to bring major changes to the political landscape.

A couple of years ago Hungary's Interior Ministry and Ministry for Equal Opportunities set up what is known as the "Elderly-Friendly Local Government Award". It goes to towns and villages which do the best job of integrating the elderly into their local communities.

As in all of Central Europe the average age in Poland is on the rise. At the same time many young people are holding down two jobs and trying to get ahead in the world. This leaves little time for taking care of the elderly. As Radio Polonia found out, some Poles are breaking away from the traditional extended family and placing their parents in western style private nursing homes.

In recent years Slovakia has not offered many major achievements in the field of medical innovation. Many doctors say that a lack of money is the core of the problem. But Radio Slovakia International's Katarina Richterova did find one Slovak who has made an important discovery that could have important implications for women.

Cardio-vascular disease is the leading cause of death in Hungary and much of the rest of the world. Problems are often detected too late because many people do not suffer obvious symptoms. Even suspect cases can be difficult to confirm. But that may soon be history thanks to a new device invented by Hungarian doctor Miklos Illyes.

Slovenia has gone a long way in the field of liver surgery, especially in liver resection - the removal of part of the organ by surgery. Only half a century ago, doctors almost always lost the battle with cancerous lesions and tumours of the liver. But now, as we report from Maribor, there is fresh hope for liver patients:

Over the past decade, the personal computer has become an essential instrument in our everyday lives. Add an internet connection to your computer and you don't even need to leave your home. But what about those with a physical disability who can't use a PC? Scientists around the world have been straining their little grey cells to find a simple way of helping them - but it was a small team in Prague who came up with a very clever little system.

Poland's heart surgeons are among the best in the world. Just a decade ago waiting lists of patients in need of heart surgery were far longer than in most European countries, but now that reputation has been turned round. There are Polish doctors who specialize in certain rare operations, Polish medical universities are teaching students from around the world, and patients from different countries are also opting for Polish hospitals.