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Systolic time intervals (STIs) were measured in 57 patients with progressive muscular dystrophy (PMD) of the Duchenne type, and were correlated with the stages of physical disability. The total electromechanical systole (Q-A2), pre-ejection period (PEP), and left ventricular ejection time (LVET) were corrected for heart rate using the linear regression equations calculated from 91 normal subjects. Each systolic time interval index (STII), i.e. corrected STI, was analyzed. In 15 ambulatory patients (Group P-1), the STIIs did not differ significantly from those in normal controls. In 37 patients who were unable to walk (Group P-2) and 5 patients who were confined to bed (Group P-3), there was a significant increase (p less than 0.001) in the PEP index (PEPI), a decrease (p less than 0.001) in the LVET index (LVETI), and an increase (p less than 0.001) in the PEP/LVET compared with those in controls. The PEPI (p less than 0.001), LVETI (p less than 0.025), and PEP/LVET (p less than 0.001) in Group P-2 differed significantly from those in Group P-1. In Group P-3, the PEPI (p less than 0.005), LVET (p less than 0.001), and PEP/LVET (p less than 0.001) were significantly changed in comparison with those in Group P-2. Remarkable myocardial histopathologic changes suggestive of dystrophy were revealed in autopsies of 3 patients who had been in the severely disabled stage and had shown impaired STIs. It is suggested that cardiac function in patients with moderate to advanced PMD of the Duchenne type is deteriorated in proportion to the disability stages, i.e. the severity of changes in the skeletal muscles.

It is not clear why blood pressure rises with age in civilized countries. We examined the relationship between alcohol consumption, obesity, family history of hypertension and blood pressures at medical checkups in 534 male office workers, aged 20 to 40. The results in two age groups, 20-30 and 31-40, are as follows. Those who drank heavily (greater than 60 ml of ethanol) the previous night and/or habitual heavy drinkers (greater than 60 ml/day) had the highest blood pressure. Obese workers had higher blood pressure. Subjects with a family history of hypertension had higher blood pressure. The frequencies of heavy drinkers and obesity were higher in the group aged 31 to 40 than in the other group. These factors might contribute to the blood pressure elevation with age. 5) A histogram of the first readings of systolic blood pressure showed a bimodal distribution only in persons with a family history of hypertension.

The blood pressure, electrocardiographic findings and serum total cholesterol of Tongans, characterized by extreme obesity, were compared with those of Japanese employees of a trading firm in Tokyo. The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Tongans as far as assessed by these measurements was rather low for their excessive obesity. It is unclear whether the relatively low prevalence rate of cardiovascular diseases among the Tongans is due to genetic factors which might be considered an ethnological difference, or to environmental factors. Reducing weight is very difficult for many obese people. Accordingly, if "healthy obesity" exists, elucidation of its mechanism will be glad tidings for obese persons. However, the most prevalent diseases among the Tongans were the same as those of the developing countries. Consequently, imitating the Tongan lifestyle does not necessarily assure the longevity of obese persons of developed nations, although it may decrease the risk of the cardiovascular diseases.