RESTING VENOUS PLASMA ADRENALINE IN 70-YEAR-OLD MEN CORRELATED POSITIVELY TO SURVIVAL IN A POPULATION STUDY - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PHYSICAL WORKING CAPACITY

Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate plasma noradrenalin (NA) and plasma adrenalin (A) as predictors of mortality in a population study. Subjects. All subjects were 70 years of age in 1984. They were selected from the National Person Register, Altogether, 804 subjects participated in a comprehensive medical examination. Interventions. Plasma NA and A were measured in blood samples collected after the subjects had rested in the supine position for 15 min. The subjects have now been followed for 7 years. Main outcome measures. Seven years later, 115 men and 63 women had died. Results. Cox regression analysis showed that the mortality in the male group was positively correlated to plasma NA (P < 0.002) and inversely correlated to forced vital capacity (P < 0.0000) and plasma A (P < 0.02). A positive correlation was obtained between physical working capacity and plasma A. When an index of physical working capacity was included in the Cox regression analysis, both plasma NA and plasma A became insignificant, whereas a strong positive correlation appeared between physical working capacity and survival (P < 0.0000). Those who had low plasma A values in 1984 tended to die from cardiovascular diseases in the follow-up period, whereas in those who died from cancer, plasma A values were similar to those of the general population. Conclusions. Subjects with high plasma A values had the best survival rate during the 7 year follow-up period, probably because they also had the best physical working capacity. High plasma NA values, as expected, were associated with a reduced survival rate. Measurements of physical working capacity may be an inexpensive measure of probable survival in 70-year-old subjects.