An ordinary meeting of the Society was held on Wednesday 11th October 2017. The retiring President, Dr Margaret Keightley, opened the meeting with a welcome to attendees. She then inaugurated the new President, Mr Iain Chisholm, who took the Chair. The meeting commenced with a short silence in memory of Romsey GP Dr John Wattie. In the Secretary’s absence, the minutes of the last meeting were read by Dr Dracass and were accepted as correct by a show of hands. The meeting wished the Secretary a speedy recovery.
The President then introduced the evening’s speaker, Professor Diana Kuh, formerly Director of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing (LHA) at University College London, who spoke to the title ‘From Paediatrics to Geriatrics: Insights into ageing from the oldest British birth cohort study’. Professor Kuh is internationally recognised in the field of life course epidemiology and evolutionary theory.
Professor Kuh explained that she had recently retired from the Directorship of the LHA, home to the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), a post she had held since 2007. She had worked on the NSHD, the longest running life cohort study in the world, for 30 years. The study was set up in 1946 by Dr James Douglas under the auspices of the LSE Population Investigation Committee and was initially intended as a one-off project designed to answer questions about the experience and safety of childbirth. Over 13,000 mothers were interviewed and 5,362 UK babies, born in March 1946, (the Douglas babies) were entered into the study which found significant variations in obstetric outcome with social class. However its potential as a lifelong longitudinal cohort study was quickly realised and, as a result, the survey continued using regular follow-ups to explore the impact of factors such as social class, childhood health, education and the NHS on later health and development. In 1962 the study was taken over by the MRC and in 2006 the focus of the research moved towards ageing, and the effect of early life experience and environment on longevity and health in old age.
The study subjects have recently passed their 70th birthdays and a vast amount of data on their physical, mental, social and biomedical development has been accumulated during 24 individual contacts each. About 20% of the subjects have died but, of those surviving, 94% are still in contact with the study. This has been achieved by regular communication such as annual birthday cards and, in 2016, a mass 70th birthday party was held. Subjects are seen by nurses who complete a questionnaire and undertake blood sampling, cardiac and respiratory function tests, bone scans and body composition analysis, as well as measurements of physical and mental health such as hand grip, walking speed, balance, dexterity and memory. Between the ages of 60 and 64, study subjects were assessed for 15 clinical disorders. Only 1 in 3 subjects were free of serious conditions and 1 in 6 of minor conditions. 1 in 4 were taking 5 or more medications.
Professor Kuh explained that the study was now looking at the determinants of healthy old age, defined as optimal functioning for maximum time, and the prevention of disability. She illustrated, by way of graphs, a number of examples from the research such as the links between respiratory function and previous smoking habit, verbal memory decline and educational attainment, hypertension and low birth weight, obesity and social class and the unexpected accelerated decline in physical strength in a proportion of patients. The explanation for these associations was not always apparent and probably depended on genetic and molecular influence on individual phenotypes. The key task now is to translate the study findings into national policy and practice in order to maintain function and resilience in old age by appropriate and timely intervention.
After answering several questions from the audience, Professor Kuh was congratulated by the President on such an interesting talk and the meeting ended at 10.15pm.
