[Systolic time interval, stress ergometry and 133-xenon clearance in obesity]

Systolic time intervals were measured with 55 middle aged healthy normal weight and 76 healthy overweight probands in two positions (standing and lying). In 39 adipose patients and 55 normal weight subjects an ergometric work was carried out. A significant difference between normal and extremely adipose subjects without cardiac diseases could not be noticed with regard to the preejection index. Preejection period and left ventricular ejection time showed significant differences in both positions between normal and overweight probands, independent of blood pressure. In overweight patients there was a significantly decreased heart work load. The preejection index of adipose patients with a work load below 76 watts amounted to a mean value of 1,04. A work load of 100 watts was reached by only half of the adipose patients. In 32 adipose subjects with a heart work load above 75 watts the regulation of heart-rate and blood-pressure was not different from that of normal weight persons. Muscle blood flow was measured by 133Xenon-Clearance after Lassen et al. The measurement of the 133Xenon-Clearance of the arm muscle at rest in 29 adipose patients resulted in significantly lower values compared with normal weight persons.

Selected metabolic results of the Leipzig gerontological longitudinal study

The results of the longitudinal study show a gradual development of the overweight of young obese women. The decrease of weight in middle aged obese women is likely to be influenced by additional therapeutic measures by the physicians. It is interesting to note that men and women of normal weight do not develop overweight over a ten-years-span. Serum cholesterol increased in all age and weight groups within a ten-years-interval. The changes of the shares of total fatty acids were especially characterized by the decrease of palmitic acid and the increase of linoleic acid in the ten-years-interval. However age, weight and sex differences were present. The increase of uric acid level occurred with all test persons independent of sex. With test persons above 45 years a significant sex difference was noticed.

[The influence of the body weight on the 133 xenon clearance of the brachial muscles (author's transl)]

Muscles blood flow (MBF) was determined by 133-Xenon-Clearance at rest in 78 persons free of vascular symptoms. Significant differences were found between males and females with normal body weight. Depending on the special composition of both groups (normal subjects and obese under 60 years) there was no significant decrease of MBF with increasing age.

[Behavior of serum lipid parameters--results of a longitudinal gerontologic study]

Within the Leipzig longitudinal study from 1968 to 1978 in 158 test persons (46 males, 112 females) cholesterol and the total fatty acid spectre were gas-chromatographically determined in regular intervals. Serum cholesterol as well as proportions of linoleic acid increased significantly. By the significant decrease of the palmitic acid the percentages of the saturated fatty acids altogether decreased despite increase of stearic acid. In these cases the differences between males and females as well as between persons with normal weight and overweight more and more evened up. Ascertained correlations existed between reduction of the relative weight and decrease or more insignificant increase of cholesterol on the one hand and increase of linoleic acid on the other. The latter phenomenon is above all to be traced back to the fat-reduced diet and to the diet rich in polyene fatty acids which was more and more applied mainly by older test persons in the course of the longitudinal study, which thus may lead to antiatherogenic constellations of serum fatty acids.

[Creativity and age in the arts and sciences (author's transl)]

Studies into the relations between aging and creativity are reported. After a brief review of statistics on works of medical scientists, the author deals with the age-dependent creativity of composers and, more specifically, symphonists. Using the method of differential analysis of works, he then analyzes and discusses the composing activities of Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruckner.

[Socioeconomic importance of obesity]

It is reported on the annual deficiency of work, the stay in the hospital and the sanatorium as well as on the expenditure for these criteria which were established on 346 males with normal weight and 1,041 males with overweight and females at the age of 18--59 years within the research project nutrition and effect. With growing overweight in women as well as in men the days of deficiency of work, the duration of the stay in the hospital and the cost for this increase. In these cases the dependence on age concerns persons with normal weight and obese persons. It is referred to the prevention and early treatment of obesity.

[Frequency of bacteriuria in the aged (author's transl)]

1125 inhabitants of 2 homes for aged people were tested for bacteriuria by dip slides. Increasing of age did not lead to higher frequency of bacteriuria, neither in women (n = 869), nor in men (n = 256). The persons were divided in the 4 decades of being 61--70, 71--80, 81--90, and 91--99 years old. The corresponding rates of bacteriuria (greater than or equal to 10(5) germs/ml) were 14.0, 15.0, 12.4, and 9.1%, respectively. The rate of reproducibility was 75.4%, indicating still smaller values in reality. The discrepancies to the much higher values reported in the literature may depend on the people tested: "normal persons" instead of hospital patients or patients' specimens having been sent to a microbiological laboratory.

[Epidermiologic studies on nutritional behavior of adipose subjects]

In 1,000 obese persons and 250 persons with normal weight detailed anamneses of nutrition concerning the average daily intake of calories, carbohydrates, protein, fats, cholesterol, saturated and manifold unsaturated fatty acids were made. Obese persons ingested less food than persons with normal weight, - findings which on the one hand are explained with the different habits of eating in the dynamic phase (the hyperalimentation takes place above all in this phase) and the stationary one of obesity, on the other hand a further differentiation in hypophages, normophages and hyperphages should be performed. Finally frequency and structure of the meals are of importance. Tendencies of age did not occur in females, whereas all nutrients in males, beginning with the fourth decade of life, were ingested in a smaller degree than in adolescence. Longitudinal studies on the behaviour concerning nutrition are desirable.

[Behavior of the body weight in 2261 maturity-onset diabetics under conditions of ambulatory care]

Of 2,261 maturity-onset-diabetics (970 males, 1,691 females) body weight, size and Broca-index were established at the beginning of the treatment, one year after the beginning of the treatment and at the date of analysis (x=5.7 years after the manifestation of diabetes). 72% of the females and 49% of the males had a Broca-index of more than 10 at the beginning of the treatment. The average loss of weight of the diabetics of adult type with overweight with a Broca-index of more than 5 was in the first year 7.6 kg in males and 5.2 kg in females. In the first year after beginning of the disease in the diet group and in the buformin group was achieved an average reduction of weight in males of about 7 kg and in females of about 6 kg. After the first year of treatment in the groups mentioned the body weight remained or rose to one kg. The patients treated with sulfonylureas--compared with the diet-biguanide group--showed in the first year of treatment, indeed, a loss of weight which was about 50% smaller, however, also in the following years (x=4.7) a further continuous reduction of weight could be recognized. The initial results and the late results in the treatment of elderly diabetics with overweight show that, compared with former years, partial success is to be achieved with reduction cures performed in outpatient departments. The importance of the reduction of weight in elderly diabetics for the improvement of the carbohydrate tolerance and the fat metabolism is emphasized.

[Primary hyperlipoproteinemia and cardiovascular diseases in relation to age]

The primary hyperlipoproteinaemia is a frequently appearing disease of the second half of life. Out of 188 patients with hyperliporpoteinaemia 19% were at an age of 40-49 years, 33% at an age of 50-59 years and 51% of 60-69 years. The type IV of hyperlipoproteinaemia was the most frequent one (19%), in the second place was type IIa (21%) and in the third place was type IIb (14%). In the 5th decade of life type IV prevailed in males and type IIa in females, in the 6th and 7th decade of life nearly the same percentage for these types was to be found in both sexes. In 60% of the patients with hyperlipoproteinaemia we found a hypertension, in males in 20% coronary insufficiency appeared already in the 4th decade of life, then it rose to 70%, in females these appearances occurred about 10 years later. 9% of the patients fell ill from myocardial infarction. A general arteriosclerosis appeared in 63% of the males and in 89% of the females beginning with the 5th decade of life, then it still increased. Therefore, adequate preventive and curative measures (diet and pharmaca) are necessary in time.

[Methodological problems in the determination of biological age]

It is reported on a new method of the establishment of the biological age. The test battery designed comprises 12 parameters, from which a so-called biological index can be calculated which on its part serves as basis for the establishment of biological age. The realisability of the methods is demonstrated by examinations carried out on 340 healthy persons. The method developed for the geriatric practice is regarded as supplementation of the general medical examination and for the clarification of certain, above all gerontologically orientated questions.

[The relations between aging and disease]

In a survey concerning the relations between ageing and disease the peculiarities of a nosology referred to old age are discussed. From the point of view of clinical gerontology the compilation contains problems of the determination of the normal value, the demarcation of orthological and pathological changes caused by ageing, of the morbidity, the symptomatology and the therapy. The paper sketches the modern state of knowledge and refers to the continuation of clinical gerontology, the special task of which should last not least consist of the formation of a diagnostic and therapeutic standard adequate to age.

[Problems of food absorption with reference to age and obesity]

In 1,000 obese persons and 250 persons with normal weight detailed nutrition anamneses concerning the average daily intake of calories, carbohydrates, protein, fats, cholesterol, saturated and repeatedly unsaturated fatty acids were made. Obese persons took less food than persons with normal weight--findings which are to be explained by the different habits of eating in the dynamic (the hyperalimentation takes place above all here) and in the static phase of obesity. There were no age tendencies in women, whereas in men, beginning with the 4th decade of life, all the nutrients were taken in a smaller quantity than in adolescence.

[Influence of overweight on the load-capacity of the supporting and locomotion system in women]

119 50-year-old women were examined with regard to connections between apparatus of locomotion and overweight. Middle-aged women with overweight compared with women with normal weight more frequently complain of podalgias and of by Schober's signs objectifyable sacrodynias. Compared with women with normal weight in them a more frequent hyperlordosis can be established. The percentage of the degenerative spondylopathies of 61% and of the densitometrically established osteoporosis of 25.4% in the total material corresponds with literary data. There are no differences between women with normal weight and overweight. In contrast to persons with normal weight persons with overweight have only somewhat more frequently the combination of hyperlordosis with degenerative processes of the lumbar vertebral column. The biconcavity index established at the lumbar vertebral bodies is in the lower region in persons with overweight as well as in persons with normal weight. Osteoporotic lumbar vertebral bodies show a decreased frequently of spondylosis. There is no correlation between the radiological parameters established at the lumbar vertebral column and the objectified by Schober's signs decrease of the function of the lumbar vertebral column. A decreased height of the plantar arch and a correlating with this bredth of the step plane of the foot in adipose persons compared with normal persons we regarded as an expression of the increased load of the foot, also in such cases where a connection with the more frequent foot-complaints could not be ascertained. Perhaps it corresponds with that fact that only the developing flat-foot causes complaints. In general a positive correlation is to be found between the frequency of sacrodynias and podalgias.