Health in old age

Introduction: page 1

THE TRANSVERSE DIAMETER OF THE HEART IN OLDER PEOPLE

In this paper measurements of the transverse diameter of the heart are presented in persons aged 60 to 79 years, using X-ray films of the chest, together with data on their body weight, height, chest diameter, and arterial blood pressure. The object is to determine the nature and intensity of the relationships of the heart diameter and these other factors, and therefrom to assess the efficiency with which the heart diameter can be predicted from a knowledge of such variables in a healthy but elderly group of the population. The differences in these respects with change of age will also be indicated by contrasting the findings for adjacent decennial periods 60 to 69 and 70 to 79 years. Many authors have regarded the heart diameter as a useful criterion of the heart size itself (Bedford and Treadgold, 1931; Bainton, 1932; Bakwin and Bakwin, 1935; Comeau and White, 1942) but, as far as I am able to ascertain, information relates to those of young and adult life and only inadequately to old age. A statistical study similar in character to the present was carried out by Hodges and Eyster (1926) using orthodiagrams derived from 80 men between the ages of 15 and 45 years. METHODS The data are derived from the records of 111 men and 160 women, aged 60 to 69 years, an

Why Naturalisation?

This article focuses on the linkage between institutional and normative dimensions of 'Europeanisation' and examines the UK Government White Paper, entitled 'Secure Borders, Safe Haven' (Home Office, 2002). The article reviews the migration policy under the Blair government. It argues that all existing forms of definitions derived from naturalisation remain too national-statist orientated and therefore are limited in addressing the new challenges which are needed to transcend the nationality model of citizenship. The author suggests, based on the examination of naturalisation laws throughout the EU generally and particularly in Britain, an automatic civic registration, conditioned on domicile and the absence of criminal convictions only. The article illustrates how naturalisation laws, however evolutionary, place too much emphasis on social cohesion which they equate with belonging and citizenship - thus overlooking the fact that sense of belonging develops with inclusion in society rather than by declarations or language proficiency tests