Weights of brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen in healthy and apparently healthy adult Danish subjects

Abstract

Based on a forensic material of 1,598 autopsies of Danish adults (1,086 males, 512 females ≥ 16 years of age), who prior to death were healthy or apparently healthy based on clinical evidence, the weights of brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen were registered. The variability of organ weights was estimated. Relationships between organ weights and body size, and among organ weights were also evaluated. Males had larger organ weights than females. When organ weights were based on the same estimated fat free mass, interesting differences between the sexes were observed: weights of the heart and brain were smaller in females, but weights of the kidney were the same; weights of the liver were consistently larger in females than in males. Useful comparisons of the data with previous studies were impossible because of differences in the criteria of health and of insufficient numbers. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Lower resting metabolic rate in the elderly may not be entirely due to changes in body composition

“…However, there might also be a possibility that we overestimated calculated RMR of the elderly. Although the sum of organ masses as calculated with the equations from Garby et al (1993) in our study was significantly lower in the elderly when compared to young subjects, heart mass was nevertheless significantly higher in the elderly. As discussed by Bosy-Westphal et al (2003), an increased heart mass could also add to the observed age-group differences between measured and calculated RMR in case the heart metabolic rate decreased with an increasing heart mass in the elderly.…”

“…The magnitudes of the differences were 612 and 601 kJ/day, respectively, for women and men and are very similar to those observed in our study (625 and 515 kJ/day). This correspondence of the results is even more remarkable in that by contrast to the study of Gallagher et al (2000) organ masses were not measured in our study but derived from the regression equations developed by Garby et al (1993). Bosy-Westphal et al (2003) also measured RMR and body composition including several organ masses in 26 young (13 females, 13 males) and 26 elderly subjects (15 females, 11 males) and specific organ metabolic rates were taken from the literature.…”

“…As discussed by Bosy-Westphal et al (2003), an increased heart mass could also add to the observed age-group differences between measured and calculated RMR in case the heart metabolic rate decreased with an increasing heart mass in the elderly. If an increased heart mass was more frequently present in Garby's autopsy population than in the GISELA subjects, the algorithm derived from Garby et al (1993) could have resulted in an overestimation of the calculated RMR of the subjects in our study.…”

“…On the basis of these criteria, and also as it has been validated by densitometry we found the equation of Deurenberg et al (1991) to be most appropriate for use in our study. A further limitation of our study is that weights of the brain, heart, liver and kidneys were not measured but calculated by using the regression equations from Garby et al (1993). This approach was used, because within the scope of our study, including a rather large number of subjects, it was not possible to assess the weights of the different organs by extensive methods like computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.…”

“…The equation was developed from data of 661 subjects between 16 and 83 years of age and considers height, weight, age and sex. Weights of brain, heart, liver and kidneys were calculated by the sex-specific regression equations according to Garby et al (1993) including body weight, body height and age. These equations are based upon 1598 autopsied Danish adults (Z16 years of age), who prior to death were healthy or apparently healthy.…”