INFLUENCE OF AGE ON CIRCULATION AND ARTERIAL BLOOD-GASES IN MAN

Background. Modem data on the influence of age on hemodynamic and bloo d gas data in healthy subjects are sparse, especially in middle aged o r older subjects. Most measurements have been done in patients during major surgery or in intensive care when the patients have one or more failing organ systems. This study reports on hemodynamics, blood gases and blood volume in healthy patients prior to anesthesia and elective Surgery. Methods. A total of 116 subjects (92 males, 24 females) were investigated prior to anesthesia and elective surgery No one had rece ived any premedication or was taking regular medication. All subjects were in good physical condition, except for their surgical disease, an d clinical examination and history did not reveal any sign of cardiopu lmonary disease. Measurements were made of systemic and pulmonary vasc ular pressures, cardiac output, arterial blood gases and blood volume by I-131-Albumin min distribution. Results. Cardiac output, stroke vol ume, and blood volume correlated to body surface. Relating these varia bles to body size eliminated almost all differences between the male a nd female groups. These variables, as well as both systemic and pulmon ary artery systolic vascular pressures, were affected by increasing ag e. Pulmonary capillary wedge and right atrial pressures were not influ enced by age. PaO2 decreased with age from 14.0 kPa at 20 years to 11. 3 kPa at 80, whereas PaCO2 was unaltered. No effect of light smoking w as found on pulmonary circulation or arterial blood gases. Significant correlations were found between blood volume on the one hand and body size and age on the other hand, but not in regard to sex.