Factors Affecting the Gait Ability of the Home-bound Stroke Patients

Mediologische Lektüre von Friedrich Schillers Drama "Maria Stuart

Mortality and life expectancy of Yokkaichi Asthma patients, Japan: Late effects of air pollution in 1960–70s

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma began increasing in early 1960s in the population of Yokkaichi-city (Mie Prefecture, Japan). The cause of the disease was sulfur oxide air pollution, and it is known as Yokkaichi Asthma. The pollution markedly decreased by the end of 1970s; no new cases have been reported since 1988. This study aimed at examining the late effects of air pollution on the health of Yokkaichi Asthma patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mortality rate and life expectancy of patients, registered between 1965 and 1988, were investigated from 1975 through 2000.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mortality rates for COPD and asthma in patients from Yokkaichi-city were significantly higher than in the whole population of Mie Prefecture. For all ages (except for males between 80 and 84 years in 1985), the life expectancy of both males and females were significantly reduced in patients from Yokkaichi-city as compared with the whole population of Mie Prefecture. The potential gains in life expectancy excluding the mortality for respiratory diseases including COPD and asthma were larger for all ages in patients from Yokkaichi-city.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Mortality and life expectancy were adversely affected in patients from Yokkaichi-city, despite the fact that the air pollution problem has been already solved.</p

Study on Life Expectancy of the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivors

放射線被曝は,がん死亡や発がんリスクを有意に高めることが明らかにされている。また,がん以外で放射線被曝と有意な関連が見られる疾患があることも報告されている。しかしながら,被爆者の平均余命と放射線の影響に関する報告は多くない。本研究では,広島大学原爆放射線医科学研究所に登録されている被爆者228,764人(男性103,050人,女性125,714人)を用い, 1975,1980,1985,1990,1995年の各年次における被爆者の生命表を作成し平均余命を算出した。さらに,生命表から死因別死亡確率および特定死因を除去した場合の平均余命の延びを求め,放射線被曝の余命への影響についても検討した。1975～1995年において,被爆者の平均余命は男女ともに年々延びており,50-54歳の平均余命の延びは,男性2.45年,女性4.32年であった。また,1975年と比べて,男性で1985年以降,女性で1980年以降,平均余命は有意に延びていた。被爆状況別では,入市およびその他の被爆者と比べて,男女ともに直爆者で余命は短い傾向にあった。死因別死亡確率は,がん,肺がん,大腸がん,前立腺および乳がんで上昇する傾向が認められた。特に,がんは男女ともに直爆者で有意に高い傾向にあり,男性では有意に上昇していた。一方,胃および子宮がんは年々低下する傾向にあった。特定死因を除去した場合の平均余命の延びは,男女ともにがんを除去した場合が最も延びが大きかった。被爆状況別で,がんを除去した場合の余命の延びは,入市およびその他の被爆者と比べて男女ともに直爆者で大きく,特に男性の直爆者で延びは大きかった。生命表法を用いた本研究において,入市およびその他の被爆者と比べて直爆者におけるがん死亡は放射腺の影響を受けていることが確認され..In order to examine the relationship between life expectancy and radiation effects among atomic bomb survivors, we prepared life tables for 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, and 1995 for 228,764 atomic bomb survivors (males: 103,050, females: 125,714) registered at the Hiroshima University Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine. For this period, the life expectancy of atomic bomb survivors extended year after year for both sexes, with the extension of the life expectancy at the ages of 50-54 being 2.45 years for males and 4.32 years for females. By exposure status, those proximally exposed about 2 km from the hypocenter (directly exposed) tended to show shortened life expectancy as compared with early entrants and other survivors. Conditional probability of dying from cancer was significantly high among those directly exposed, especially in males. The extension of life expectancy after the exclusion of specific causes of death was the greatest when cancer death was excluded. By exposure status, the extension of life expectancy after the exclusion of cancer death was the greatest among those directly exposed, especially among males. In conclusion, we confirmed the presence of radiation effects on cancer mortality in those directly exposed, as compared with other two groups