Changes in the liver weight in the elderly

To elucidate the effect of aging on liver weight in the elderly, 582 elderly cases (male 291, female 291), were selected from 2000 elderly autopsied cases on the basis of being free from pathological findings affecting liver weight. Both liver weight and its ratio to body weight decreased with age, and influenced by obesity; the former increased and the latter decreased in obese cases. Analysis according to the degree of obesity also showed decrease of liver weight and is ratio to body weight with age. Comparison between males and females of the same decade revealed the tendency that in females the liver weight was low, while liver weight.body weight ratio was high. The same results were obtained by analysis based on the degree of obesity.     

Diphtheria in the Russian Federation in the 1990s

A resurgence of diphtheria spread throughout the Russian Federation in the early 1990s; diphtheria had been well controlled, but circulation of toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae had persisted since the implementation of universal childhood vaccination in the late 1950s. More than 115,000 cases and 3,000 deaths were reported from 1990 to 1997, and, in contrast to the situation in the prevaccine era, most of the cases and deaths occurred among adults. Contributing factors included the accumulation of susceptible individuals among both adults and children and probably the introduction of new strains of C. diphtheriae. Vaccine quality, vaccine supply, or access to vaccine providers did not significantly contribute to the epidemic. Mass vaccination of adults and improved childhood immunization controlled the epidemic. High levels of population immunity, especially among children, will be needed to prevent and control similar outbreaks in the future.     

Problems in the Diagnosis of Diverticulitis in the Young

Five cases of sigmoid diverticulitis in young patients are reported. The difficulty in obtaining preoperative diagnosis in these cases was due primarily to the fact that the diagnosis was not suspected because of their young age. Although diverticula were seen on barium enema in all cases, the "classical radiological pictures of diverticulitis" were not seen in three of the five cases, presumably because of a short duration of the illness. Diverticular disease of the colon in young patients appears to require more aggressive surgical approach in view of the fact that the disease is characterized by recurrent inflammations. These patients are presently followed up carefully with particular reference to recurrence of the disease in the rest of the bowel as they progress into "older age groups". There being no definite measures at present which are known to protect against the development of diverticulitis in the unaffected population, the question naturally arises, "will this group be even more susceptible?".     

美托洛乐治疗老年人高血压

疾病 高血压病。目的 评估美托洛尔治疗高血压的短期疗效和安全性，病人年龄在50—75岁。     

Oxprenolol in the treatment of hypertension in the elderly

Controversy continues to surround the value of drug treatment of hypertension in the elderly. Epidemiologic evidence implicates hypertension as a major risk factor in the precocious development of stroke and coronary heart disease in the elderly subject as clearly as it is implicated in the younger person. The hemodynamic and neuroendocrine profiles of the older patient with essential hypertension are similar to those of younger patients in the stable phase of the disease. However, the arterial ravages induced by many years of sustained hypertension render the circulation of the elderly subject more sensitive to pharmacologic intervention. The benefit-risk ratio of most antihypertensive drugs appears to be inversely related to age. Diuretics reduce the blood pressure at rest but have no influence on the increases in systolic pressure during normal activity; in addition, they carry potentially serious metabolic hazards in the elderly hypertensive patient. Centrally acting drugs likewise lower the blood pressure at rest without influencing the high systolic pressures induced by exercise. They also enhance the tendency to endogenous depression. Adrenergic-neurone blocking drugs and alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists are contraindicated because of the frequency of impaired cardiovascular reflexes in the elderly. The beta-blocking drugs can reduce the risk of coronary and cerebrovascular disease in the older patient with hypertension. They appear to be well tolerated, but because of their impaired metabolic handling in many elderly patients they should probably be used in smaller doses than those prescribed in younger patients. The influence of antihypertensive treatment on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the elderly hypertensive patient is not known.