Clinical and Biological Observations on Working Men

Abstract

Data are presented from the first examination of 14,110 men examined in regular periodic health examination programs. The wide range for 13 commonly used biological measurements suggests that normal ranges may be wider than commonly supposed. The proportion of the population showing evidence of 13 selected diseases increased with age but the order of frequency within age groups was notably different. The mean value of some biological measurements increased with age while others decreased. Certain diseases were associated with changes in measurements that exceeded those associated with age, and mean values among persons with a given diagnosis often differed significantly from those in persons without the diagnosis. This large population provides a resource for the study of chronic disease.