Sociological and medical longitudinal-study on maintenance of activity and appearance of disability for the elderly in an isolated island of Okinawa

日本人的预期寿命估计是世界上最长的。目前，日本有望实现主动长寿，而不是脆弱的长寿。在本研究中，对冲绳孤岛上的老年人进行了社会学和医学评估，以确定他们的生活是否活跃。根据1975年的全国人口普查，岛上65岁以上的人口数量为718人。其中，从1975年到1995年已经过去了20年，但到了1995年仍有107名老人住在同一个岛上。在这二十年中，还有其他人去世或搬离了这个岛。根据厘清日常生活活动（ADL）的若干标准，对其中98名老年人进行活动与否的评估。在住院的98名老人中，有29人被判定为卧床不起。最后，根据保健福利部制定的标准，分析了69多名老年人（21名男性，48名女性，平均年龄：92岁）在自己家中的日常生活活动。60 -。在标准中，老年人被划分为j级或A级，即积极长寿。也就是说，98名老年人中有67%是活跃的。在66名活动老年人中，49人（14名男性和35名女性，平均年龄：92岁）在自己家中接受了医学检查。他们没有严重的疾病，然而，47%的老年人在体检中发现有心血管异常，如轻度高血压、心律失常、水肿或心脏杂音。针对上述异常的医疗管理似乎不仅有助于预防另一种严重疾病，而且有助于预防残疾。仅少数老年人外周血、血液化学、免疫球蛋白检查有异常。综上所述，大约70%的独居老人在日常生活中是活跃的，他们没有严重的疾病。少

The life expectancy of the Japanese is estimated to he longest in the world. In the present time, active longevity, instead of frail long life, is expected in Japan. In this study, the elderly people in an isolated island of Okinawa were sociologically arid medically evaluated whether their living is active or not.The number of over 65-year-old people in the island was seven hundred-eighteen according to the national census in 1975. Among them, one hundred-seven elderly people turned out to be living in the same island in 1995 when twenty years had passed since 1975. Other persons had passed away or moved out from the island during the twenty years. Ninety -eight elderly people among them were evaluated whether they were active or not on the basis of several criteria for clarifying their activities of daily living (ADL).Among ninety-eight elderly people, twenty-nine people in hospitals were judged to be disable in bed. Eventually, activities of daily living were analyzed on sixty-nine … More elderly people (21 men and 48 women, average age : 92 years) in their own homes according to the criteria prepared by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Sixty-. elderly people were classified in rank j or A, active longevity, in the criteria. Namely, 67% of ninety-eight elderly people were active.Among the active sixty-six elderly people forty-nine people (14 men and 35 women, average age : 92 years) were medically examined in their own homes. They were free of severe disorders, however, 47% of the elderly were found to have cardiovascular abnormalities such as mild hypertension, arrythmia, edema or heart murmur by physical examination. Medical management against the above-mentioned abnormalities appears to be helpful for preventing not only another severer disease but also disability. A merely small number of the elderly people showed abnormalities in the examination of peripheral blood cell, blood chemistry and immunoglobulin.In conclusion, approximately 70% of the elderly people living in their own homes were active in the daily living and they were free of severe disorders. Less