Hearing acuity and the relationships between untreated hearing deficits and emotional state, cognitive functioning, and social integration were examined in 239 physically healthy, independent-living elderly men and women with a mean age of 72 years. Air-conduction, pure-tone thresholds in both ears were determined at high- and mid-frequencies, and participants were also given the Speech Perception in Noise test. Multivariate techniques were used to test for associations between hearing acuity and scores from the Kellner-Sheffield Symptom Questionnaire, the Jacobs Cognitive Screening Exam, the Halstead Category Test, the Wechsler Memory Scale, and the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. No deleterious effects of untreated hearing deficits on emotional status or social integration were found. The findings suggest that those with a hearing loss perform less well on verbal but not on nonverbal tests of cognition.

Abstract:The relationship between amount of alcohol consumption and social, psychological, and cognitive status was examined in 270 healthy, independently living men and women over age 65. Forty-eight per cent of the sample recorded some alcohol intake during a three-day diet record, with 8 per cent drinking 30 or more grams of alcohol daily. Alcohol intake was positively associated with male gender, income, and amount of education and negatively

Strong social support systems, which in epidemiologic studies are associated with decreased morbidity and mortality, have been hypothesized to mitigate the harmful effects of stressful stimuli on the individual. The authors found that, among 256 healthy elderly adults, individuals with good social support systems tended to have lower serum cholesterol and uric acid levels and higher indices of immune function; these correlations were independent of age, body mass, tobacco use, alcohol intake, and degree of perceived psychological distress. Thus, social support systems may intervene between the stressful stimulus and the physiologic response to that stimulus.

This report summarizes morbidity and mortality data for 263 initially healthy elderly men and women from the beginning of this study through five years of follow-up. The mortality rate for this sample averaged approximately 1.8% per year and the duration of terminal illness averaged 4.9 months. The cancer incidence rate has increased whereas new diagnoses of cardiovascular disease and degenerative conditions have declined. The data support the potential for maximizing vigour and health well into the seventh and eighth decades of life.

The usefulness of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in elderly individuals has recently been questioned. ESR measurements were obtained on 100 elderly individuals using the Westergren method. In 4% of the patients screened the ESR was responsible for uncovering previously undiagnosed illnesses. Elevated ESR's, while more prevalent in the elderly than in younger individuals, have a similar pathological significance.