WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM VALUE OF MULTIPHASIC HEALTH SCREENING AND THE INITIAL JUDGMENT OF BENEFIT - SURVIVAL TO 85 AND 90 YEARS, PERCEIVED HEALTH AND FUNCTIONAL ABILITY OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE SWEDISH ESKILSTUNA STUDY 1964 AND 1969, 20 AND 25 YEARS LATER

The long term effects of multiphasic health screening (MHS) are rarely studied. In 1964 a random sample of 546 women and 544 men born 1899, 1904, 1909, 1914 or 1919 equally distributed on cohorts from the Swedi sh town Eskilstuna were invited to examination. For several reasons 16 7 persons (15%) did not participate in the study. In 1969 the whole sa mple was invited to a second MI-IS together with a control group that had not been exposed to MHS. Furthermore, 79 of those alive 1989 born 1899 or 1904 and examined 1964 and 1969 were reexamined. Over all surv ival rate 1989 for those examined 1964 was for males 18% and for femal es 35%. Screening instruments 1964 and 1969 were questionnaires, labor atory tests, antropometric measurements, I:CG, measurement of blood pr essure, chest radiography, peak expiratory flow (PEF), tonometry and f undoscopy of the eyes, audiometric screening, dental, gyneological and general clinical examination. Systolic hypertension for both sexes, l ow PEF and smoking, low cholesterol in women were negatively related t o survival. Of 18 diabetics only one was alive at follow-up. No associ ation was found between BMI and mortality for men, but some (1964 p < 0.01; 1969 p < 0.05) for women. Altogether 87 individuals were 1969 ju dged to have had some benefit of the MHS in 1964, 40 of them substanti al. This was, however, not statistically significantly associated with improved survival. Of the reexamined survivors 86% reported to be gen erally satisfied with their life situation. The prognostic value of gr aded benefit was analysed in some detail. The survival to age 85 in th e group allotted any benefit was somewhat less good (37%) than in the group with no benefit (44%). The difference did not reach statistical significance.