Measure of Neglect

Doctors and insurance men have long known that the middle-aged U.S. male dangerously neglects medical checkups, as a result seldom enjoys the best possible health. Last week the New York City Cancer Committee showed how dangerous this neglect can be. Examining 412 volunteers, mostly Manhattan executives and mostly aged 45 to 50, committee doctors discovered that only 68, a bare 15%, were free of serious ailments. Five executives had probable skin cancers relatively easy to cure, but 53 had "potentially precancerous" conditions. Thirty-five men had benign tumors requiring medical attention; 59 suffered from high blood pressure. Some 250 other potentially serious, hitherto unsuspected ailments were found among the 412 volunteers. The chief ones: heart disease, diabetes, ulcers, enlarged prostates and active TB (one case).

"A lot of these fellows are executive types. They overdrink, they oversmoke, and they are overweight." said a committee spokesman. "It's just a question of time before they run into trouble."

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