Relationships between some medical, psychological, social factors and oral health were analyzed within a comprehensive study of women around the age of retirement. The study was performed in Malmö in 1985-1986 and included 165 women retiring from work between 851201 and 870131. Women in qualified professional positions and with high prosperity indices had an average significantly more remaining teeth and were less often edentulous than the others. The same applied to unmarried women compared to divorcees and widows. There were significant correlations between full blood glucose and serum urate concentrations and number of teeth, DFT and DFS. The mean number of prescribed drugs was negatively related to the number of remaining teeth and high drug consumption was positively related to oral dryness. Women complaining of strain, overwork, restlessness and difficulty in relaxing reported more often problems with oral dryness. Oral dryness was also related to high blood values of calcium, urate and triglycerides, while the serum levels of cholesterol were low. There were no differences between smokers and non-smokers concerning any of the studied tooth-related variables, oral dryness, hypertension or bodyweight. The results indicate a close relationship between general health, social factors and oral health.

Five hundred and forty-seven middle-aged women, selected at random from the population of Malmö, Sweden, were invited to a screening survey for gallstone disease; 424 participated (77.5%). Forty-one had previously been operated on for gallbladder disease. The prevalence of gallstone disease, on the basis of a positive finding at ultrasonography and cholecystography, was 11%. The predictive value of a positive finding at ultrasonography was 86%. Six out of 10 women with gallstone were classified as asymptomatic. Body weight, blood pressure, liver enzymes, fasting blood glucose, and blood lipids, including apolipoprotein-A, did not differ significantly in women with and without gallstone disease. At least 9 out of 10 gallstones appeared to be cholesterol stones. Approximately half were of a size that would make them accessible for dissolution therapy.

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The impact of occupational age-retirement on physical and mental health was investigated in 116 female municipal employees (age 62-64 years old) in Malmö. Interviews and physical examinations were made about six months prior to and five months after retirement. The women were asked about present state of subjective health, earlier and present diseases, various symptoms, medication, calls to physicians, smoking habits, physical activity and sleeping habits. The majority (n = 109.94%) felt healthy before retirement. At least one definable disease was noted in 41 (35%). A proportion of them had a low level of subjective health which, however, improved after retirement. The disease most commonly found was hypertension. After retirement the subjective health improved in 22% and got worse in 9%. Blood pressure diminished and particularly musculo-skeletal and psychiatric symptoms were less common. Calls to physicians diminished. Intake of drugs, smoking and sleeping habits and physical activity changed little. In general, occupational retirement due to age was associated with mostly positive influences on health.