1981 Volume 18 Issue 6 Pages 425-431
We studied relationships between results from mass health examination of the apparently healthy elderly at the old people's homes and their survivorship after 5.5 years.
Subjects were inmates of the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Homes comprising 713 men and 1064 women, who underwent health examinations in 1972. Participation rate was 98.5%. Average age at examination was 73.7 in men, and 76.4 in women.
We used age-standerdized relative mortality ratio (SMR) and a multiple regression analysis.
1. Mortality rates increased with age both in men and women. During 5.5 years, 274 men (38%) and 300 women (28%) died. Mortality rates for men exceeded those of women at all age groups.
2. Actively participat ng men and women in jobs such as cleaning of the garden, arranging meals and working for extra income, had better prognosis. Some signs such as low serum A/G ratio, ECG abnormalities and albuminuria indicated poorer prognosis in women; in men, the same tendency was observed, too. SMR appeared to be higher, when blood pressure was higher and skinfold thickness lower. Serum cholesterol did not show any correlation with survivorship in this population.
3. In a multiple regression analysis, age and participation to jobs in men and women, and A/G ratio, skinfold thickness and ECG abnormalities in women, revealed significant association to the prognosis.
