Epidemiological observations of old age

Disease prevention in the higher age bracket is a rather new discipline. A necessary prerequisite for any prophylactic interference is a thorough knowledge about prevalence of and incidence change in health condition in various ages and in cohorts followed for a period of time. In the Glostrup Population Studies cohorts aged 50 and 70 years were followed for 10 years. Furthermore, two birth cohorts 14 years apart were investigated at the age of 50 years. From these and other surveys findings included: (a) conservation of muscle strength keeps glucose consumption and insulin production at a normal level even in old age: (b) abstinence from smoking conveys a minimum of respiratory distress and reduction of respiratory parameters by age: (c) food consumption is high in fat (43% of energy) and saturated fat (S/P 3:1) both at ages 40 and 60, with no sex difference. A secular trend pointing toward a change in eating and drinking habits is, however, indicated from the fact that 50-year-old men and women present lower serum cholesterol and higher fasting serum triglyceride levels than do people at the same age deriving from a birth cohort 14 years earlier.