Some characteristics of non-surviving subjects in a three-year longitudinal study of elderly people living at home.

During the period 1969-71 a random sample of 300 people aged 65 years and over living in their own homes was studied intensively by the staff of the University Department of Geriatric Medicine in Glasgow. Physical, psychiatric, social and dietetic data were collected. In the follow-up study, three years later (1972-74), all subjects were re-assessed. The relationship between survivors and non-survivors was considered with regard to twenty-five characteristics representative of the first survey data. No significant difference was found between survivors and nonsurvivors for age, sex, marital status, or the inadequate intake of various nutritients. Factors which related to mortality at the three year interval were the presence of arteriosclerotic disease, central nervous systemic disease, organic brain syndrome, and other psychiatric disorders, limitation of mobility, physical disability, cigarette smoking, poor recent memory and calculation ability.