[Age index and an interpretation of survivorship curves (author's transl)].
Clinical investigations showed that the age dependences of physiological functions do not show -- as generally assumed -- a linear increase with age, but an exponential one. Considering this result one can easily interpret the survivorship curve of a population (Gompertz plot). The only thing that is required is that the probability of death (death rate) is proportional to a function of ageing given by mu(t) = mu0 exp (alpha t). Considering survivorship curves resulting from annual death statistics and fitting them by suitable parameters, then the resulting alpha-values are in agreement with clinical data.
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D005859:Germany, East; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D011336:Probability; D012737:Sex Factors
Altersindex und Interpretation der Absterbekurven.