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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Longevity of atomic-bomb survivors | | Author(s) | John B Cologne, Dale L Preston |
| Journal title | The Lancet, vol 356, no 9226, 22 July 2000 |
| Pages | pp 303-307 |
| Keywords | Longevity ; Hazards ; War ; Longitudinal surveys ; Japan. |
| Annotation | Conflicting claims have been made regarding biological and health consequences of exposure to low doses of radiation. Studies have suggested that certain low-dose exposed atom bomb survivors live longer than their peers. Earlier studies in other radiation-exposed populations demonstrated life shortening from mortality from cancer, but lacked dosimetry and relied on comparison groups which may introduce bias because of lack of comparability. The authors have re-examined the effect of radiation on life expectancy in one cohort of 120,331 survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The study encompasses 45 years of mortality follow-up with radiation-dose estimates available for most cohort members. Median life expectancy decreased with increasing radiation dose at a rate of about 1-3 years per Gy, but declined more rapidly at high doses. Median loss of life at estimated doses below 1 Gy was about 2 months, but among a small number with estimated doses of 1 Gy or more it was 2-6 years. Median loss of life among all with greater-than-zero dose estimates was about 4 months. These results are important in the light of the recent finding that radiation significantly increases mortality rates for causes other than cancer. The results do not support claims that survivors exposed to certain doses of radiation live longer than comparable unexposed individuals. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-001009213 A |
| Classmark | BGA: OK7: VMC: 3J: 7DT * |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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