Report on the result of the eighth medical examination of atomic bomb survivors in the South America

The atomic bomb survivors emigrating in the South America were 189 in total (160 in Brazil, 4 in Paraguay, 8 in Bolivia, 14 in Argentina and 3 in Peru) in November, 1998. Ninety-three persons (49%) took a medical examination (72 in Brazil, 3 in Paraguay, 6 in Bolivia, 9 in Argentina and 3 in Peru). The mean age was 68.6 years in male, and 68.1 years in female. They had hypertension (21.5%), diabetes (8.6%), cancer (6.5%), heart disease (5.4%), and thyroid gland diseases (4.3%). The subjective symptoms with high frequency were complete exhaustion or fatigue (58.1%), loss of vigor (55.9%), heat intolerance (49.5%) and numbness or tingling (47.1%). Electrocardiogram abnormality, total protein decrement, hypercholesterolemia and corpulence were almost the same as the last time. There was no change of a ratio of persons who needed tests on treatments. (K.H.)