[Preventive medicine in adults. Fundamentals and prospects]. / Medicina preventiva dell'adulto. I fondamenti e le prospettive.

The Author puts in evidence the need of a real development of the Medical Science, so to give the basis for a program of preventive medicine of the adult, that is prevention of degenerative pathology. A new way of thinking about this pathology starts from its relation with the aging process. This "interpretative way" may often be much more usefull than the mere diagnostic definition (as in the traditional medicine for the infectious disease) with its consequences of therapeutic activism and of a "by any way gained" normalization of biological parameters. Under this point of view one can look at the various aspects of the prevention. So the Author claims for a real evaluation of the risk factors and quite important, of the protective factors. These protective factors are probably of big value for preventive medical practice, as important as the health education. Actually people's health must be driven and saved much more than restored, a "Utopia" in the field of degenerative and senile pathology.

[Adaptive physiopathology of advanced age]. / La fisiopatologia adattativa dell'età avanzata.

We have considered the so-called "teleological" aspects in many senile diseases that is a kind of effort to compensate alterations due to the aging process, where that process takes place with biological trouble (which happens for most subjects since aging without biological trouble is a prerogative of a minority of privileged people who will have a longevous and healthy life). These "teleological" aspects represent the foundation of the phisiopathology of adaptation in advanced age and the key for a correct interpretation of it and therefore for a correct preventive and curative program.

[Potassium depletion. Glucose intolerance. Senile diabetes. Study on eventual pathogenetic relationships 1]. / Deplezione potassica. Intolleranza al glucosio. Diabete senile. Uno studio su eventuali correlazioni patogenetiche. Prima parte.

Oral tolerance of glucose was determined in 40 aged subjects with fasting blood sugar values of less than 100 mg/100 ml 56% had normal tolerance, 22% normal for age, and 22% values of diabetic type. In young subjects, only 2% display sugar metabolism disturbances. After 21 days' administration of potassium salts, 34.78% of the normal and 62.5% of the diabetic subjects showed reduced mean blood sugar values for the test, with significant falls at 120' and 180'. Reference is made to other conditions in which potassium depletion is coupled with glucose intolerance, e.g. old age. The pathogenetic significance of potassium depletion with respect to senile diabetes is discussed.

[Potassium depletion. Glucose intolerance. Senile diabetes. A study of possible pathogenetic relations. 2]. / Deplezione potassica. Intolleranza al glucosio. Diabete senile. Uno studio su eventuali correlazioni patogenetiche. Seconda parte.

The effects of intake of potassium salts for 21-28 days on the glucose tolerance of 10 elderly subjects with clear diabetes were examined by means of the Tolbutamide test (TT) and the i.v. glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). Improvement in tolerance, to the extent of a reduction in glycaemic levels and better coefficients, was observed in all values of the two tests and in basal glycaemia values, with constantly significant differences at statistical examination. In a group of 4 cases in which Tolbutamide treatment was suspended for the same period, this improvement in the Tolbutamide Test was not observed. With this second confirmation of the initial hypothesis, the pathogenetic significance and biological relevance of potassium depletion in senile diabetes and generally, in the ageing process, are discussed.

[Alkaline urine in the aged]. / Le urine alcaline negli anziani.

Considering the frequent finding of alkalinity in the urines of elderly people of both sexes, we can propose many hypothesis among which the most probable seems a latent renal failure with secondary hyperparathyroidism and consequent alkalinization of the urines. We can presume that such a frequent alkalinity of the urines in old subjects has an important role in the frequent infectious of the urinary tract of elderly people.