ABSTRACT
Demographic studies show an increasing proportion of older people in developed countries. For example, during the past 100 years in The Netherlands the mean life expectancy has approximately doubled. This development is largely due to improved hygiene, reduction of newborn mortality and more effective therapy and prevention of acute diseases in older age. With larger numbers of people reaching advanced age, health problems as well as social and psychological problems of older men play an increasingly important role in clinical medicine and in research.
