32
The various CHé@rees generally associated with
physiological senescence are known to show wide
variability among individuals of the same age. and
this was borne out by these data. However, some
of the criteria appeared to be better indices of ag-
ing than others, judging bythe degree of change
and the variability of the data observed. (This
statement is not based on statistical analysis.)
Some‘of the better criteria appeared to be accommodation of the eyes, visual acuity, skin retraction,
arcus senihs, greying of the hair, and hand
strength. The measured criteria would be ex-
pected to be morereliable than the estimated ones
in view of the subjective element and less precise
Table 20
Residual Beta Burns, 1960
Subject
No.
Sex
17
24
26
39
49
Age
Description
F
9 Slight depigmented scars, left antecubital fossae.
F
19 Mottled spots of pigmentation and
depigmentation, dorsum offeet.
M18 Marked scarring between first and
secondtoes, right foot, with binding
to subcutaneoustissues. Areas of lesser involvement peripheral to this
area. No evidence of chronic radiation dermanits.
F
20 Slight mottled pigmentation-depigmentation with little scarring, dorsum of feet. Mottled hyperpigmented spots persist on back of neck.
F
21 Black moles believed to have increased in number over right side of
scoring of the latter. This appeared generallyto
be the case, but the estimated vaiues for greying
of the hair and arcussenilis correlated surprisingly
well with age. The amount of subcutaneous fat
probably influenced measurements of skin looseness, but, since loss of subcutaneous fat is somewhat age dependent, probablyin the right direction. Iris hoped that in the future statistical treat-
ment of the data r avfurnish a weightingfactor for
each criterion based on the degree of age-associated change and the variability of the data. Itis
not always possible to run the complete battery of
tests on each individual, and use of such weighting
factors would tend to minimize the disparity due
to the omissions.
The data presented must be considered as pre-
liminary in nature and to represent only a small
fraction of the many varied changes associated
with the aging process. Under the conditions of
examinations of the Marshallese, the battery of
tests employed is necessarily limited. As more ex-
perience is gained, someofthe tests maybe elim1-
nated and new ones added. The tests of vigorare
thought to be extremely important in assessjng
aging, andit is hoped that moretests of this nature
may be added. At this time the data are presented
to introduce an approach to a feasible means of
assaving “biological age” which might beofuse in
studying the possible effects of radiation on the ag-
ing phenomenon in human beings. In the case of
the exposed Marshallese, results of further aging
surveys will be carefully evaluated, and the results
neck, also several noted in left ante-
a9
F
63
F
67
73
F
F
cubital fossa.
40 Mottled roughening and pigment
variation, back of neck.
42 Mottled pigmentation,left side of
neck, with slight roughening of skin.
20
Depigmented scarred areas with
slight atrophyof skin over dorsum of
feet, particularly at site of deeper
scar on left foot. Some areas adjacent
to scars snowincreased pigmentation.
a
43 Pigmented moles appear to have in'y
creased in number over left side of
79
neck and to lesser extent on right
side at sites of rather deep beta
burns.
M45) Back of left ear shows depigmented
scar with some binding down to cartilage. No evidence of breakdown.
Figure 32. Residual scarring between first and second
toes, right foot, from beta burns, 5 years post exposure
(Subject 226).