46

second degree in age was used when there was a

significant departure from linearity. The criteria
vibratory sense, hand grip, light extinction time,

hand-tally count, and body potassium showed
significant sex differences, and were therefore
scaled for each sex (0 to 100%).

An attempt to correlate a combined “‘physio-

logic” age score with chronological age was done by
obtaining a weighted average score for combined

criteria for each age group (see Table 22). The
absolute valuesof the correlation coefficients were
used as the weighting factor. This has intuitive
appeal, since the influence on the final combined
score of any particular aging criterion is proportional to the absolute value ofits correlation with
age.
Results of Aging Studies

The results of these tests are presented graphically in Figures 34 to 48 and in Table 22. The

mean values for each decade starting at age 20

are plotted at the midpoint of that decadefor exposed and unexposed groups separately and combined, along with the standarderrors of the means.

The numberbeside each point is the number of
people tested. The curve orstraight line (whichever best represents the particular data) is drawn
and its equation presented. The coefficient of correlation with age andsignificanceis also presented.
Mostof the criteria show good correlation with
aging. It is apparent that mostofthe criteria show
the least change with age in the younger age
groups, from 20 to 40 years of age, particularly
systolic blood pressure, hearing, visual acuity,
neuromuscular function, and skin retraction.

Above about40 years of age the criteria show the
greatest change. With a few criteria, changes in
the older age grouptend to leveloff or be less steep

(accommodation, visual acuity, skin looseness, and
cholesterol).

In Table 22 age and radiation dependenceof
these criteria are presented. Thecriteria are arranged in descending orderof correlation with aging as shown bythe correlation coefficients. For
those criteria in which sex differences were apparent,
the 7 values for the two sexes were averagedto determinethe over-all correlation with aging. Though

there wereisolated significant differences between
the exposed and unexposed age groups for some
criteria, no meaningful pattern emerged. The
table showsthat the correlation with radiation ef-

fects, in comparing exposed and unexposed groups,

is not significant at the 5% level for any of the

criteria. The over-all 7% increase in agingeffects

in the exposed group is not significant ( p =0.27).
In Figure 48 the composite weighted biological or

physiologic age scores are plotted against chronological age (means per decade). Combined mean

values for exposed and unexposed groupsarealso
presented with standarderrors of the means. The
over-all correlation of the biological age scores
with chronological age is very good. The biological

“age curve” (Figure 48) showsthat thereis less

change in the younger age groups than thereis

after about age 40. Mean values for exposed and

‘unexposed are notsignificantly different.
Discussion of Aging Studies

Though the criteria presented in this report

show changeswhicharedefinitely correlated with

chronological age on a group basis, such correlation is much less accurate on anindividual basis.
These tests of aging are least useful in the younger
age groups (20 to +0 years of age), since most of
the criteria either are not present until later or if
present showslight increase during this age period.
Therefore, moresensitive tests are needed to show

aging in these groups.

Effects of radiation on aging as measured by

these parameters were not detected in this population. Perhapsthe tests were not sensitive enough
to detect such effects at the level of radiation ex-

posure sustained. It is not known if any of the
“aging parameters” ordinarily associated with
senescenceare necessarily associated with irradiation aging, since the latter is very poorly defined
or understood. Even if they were, this would not

necessarily meanthat they are related to mortality,

which is a more pertinent correlation. Such criteria
as hair graying, arcus senilis, neuromuscular
function, etc., would not seem to have any obvious
relation to mortality. On the other hand, loss of

vigor and organ disfunction could well predispose
to the developmentofold age diseases which would
enhance mortality. Increase in mortality andlife
shortening in the exposed Marshalleseis difficult
to assay in view of the small numbersof people involved andtheslightly greater proportionofolder
people originally in the exposed group compared
with the unexposed group.

Oneradiation effect which might beclassified

underagingis the inducementof malignant disease

Select target paragraph3