Whole body counting of potassium-40 and anthropometric measurements were done on 88 urban and rural Japanese boys 12 to 14 years of age. The log-normal distribution provided a good fit to the observed data of potassium content in both groups. The urban and rural boys did not differ significantly in age, weight, body and sitting height, chest and abdomen circumferences, antero-posterior diameter of chest and abdomen, and grip strength. On the other hand, the mean potassium content, K/body weight, K/fat-free mass and estimated upper-arm muscle circumference were significantly greater in rural boys. Skinfold thickness and percentage fat were significantly greater in urban boys. In a regression analysis estimating whole body potassium from anthropometric variables, body weight and skinfold thickness were the most significant variables, accounting for 85.2% of the total variation. Estimation errors were smaller in the rural than in the urban group. Factor analysis was used to identify the factors which could explain the items measuring body composition and strength. Factor 1, in which potassium content and grip strength are the most important items, was designated as the 'Muscular Factor', and Factor 2, in which skinfold thickness and upper-arm circumference are the most significant items, was designated as the 'Fatness Factor'. The factor scores of rural subjects were scattered in a considerably narrower range than those of urban subjects.

Abdomen↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical analysis of elderly patients with malignant lymphoma].

An epidemiological study on 173 consecutive elderly malignant lymphoma patients age 65 years or over was performed and the clinical outcome of chemotherapy is reported. Of there, 131 patients (75.7%) had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 21 patients had Hodgkin's disease (HD). As for clinical staging, 58.9% of patients were in stage 3 or 4. The initial sites were nodal in 61.8% of the patients the most common sites of involvement in superficial lymph nodes being cervical, inguinal and axillar. The most frequent site of extranodal involvement was the gastrointestinal tract. The cases were treated with CHOP/COPP, BACOP or COP-BLAM combination chemotherapy. The clinical efficacy of these modalities was similar, with complete remission rates being about 50%. However, the total response rate (CR+partial remission) by the COP-BLAM regimen were 88.1%. The median survival time of cases achieving CR, was longer than 47 months. The most frequent cause of death was infection, especially pneumonia and septicemia. Many elderly ML patients were found and diagnosed when the disease developed to an advanced stage. Therefore it is necessary to make efforts to find early ML patients by screening apparently healthy elderly people. Improvement of the complete remission rate should be obtained if vigorous and intensive chemotherapy is carried out with careful supportive therapy concerning the general condition and complications in patients.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Cardiac function in elderly patients with dementia].

Evaluation of cardiac function is very important in elderly patients because it is closely related to the prognosis. Appropriate evaluation is especially important to treat and prevent the progression of dementia since its pathology differs greatly depending on type. In the present study, we evaluated the cardiac function of patients with senile dementia using echocardiography. Included in the present study were 11 patients with Binswanger-type dementia (BD), 12 with cerebrovascular dementia (VD) of other types, 16 with senile dementia of Alzheimer-type (SDAT) and 15 controls. Left ventricular function was assessed by Mode M based on left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVDd), left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVDs), left ventricular dimension shortening (FS), left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and cardiac output (CO). LVDd was significantly larger in the BD group than in the control, and LVDs was also significantly larger in the BD group than in the three other groups. FS was significantly decreased in the BD group compared to the SDAT and controls. FS was also significantly decreased in the VD group compared to the control. EF was significantly decreased in the BD group compared to the three other groups, and it was also significantly decreased in the VD group compared to the controls. There was no significant inter-group difference in SV or CO. FS and EF were found to be decreased in patients with cerebrovascular dementia, especially BD, indicating the presence of latent left ventricular hypofunction in these patients. This finding is important in predicting the prognosis of patients and conducting treatment and prevention.

Aged↗