Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Demographic analysis of the IMSERSO
(Spanish Institute for Elderly People and Social
Services) patients in the first operating year of a
medical spa in Madrid
Arranz JL (1) , Parraga E (1) , Graña N (1)
(1) Hydrologist. Bilbao. Spain
(2) Hydrologist. Paediatrist. Jaen. Spain
(3) Hydrologist. Madrid. Spain
nargradev@yahoo.es
Introduction and Objectives
The Autonomous Region of Madrid boasted a strong medical spa1 tradition until
the second decade of the 20th century when the last spas ceased their activity. It
was not until a century later that a new Medical Spa, the Rural Hotel Balneario
Aguas de Carabaña, started to operate again.
In the 19th century the Carabaña Spa began as a bottling factory and its mineral
water was recommended for digestive system diseases2. In May 2010 the new
Balneario Aguas de Carabaña3 opened its doors again and initiated a thermal programme
for 300 IMSERSO beneficiaries in August of the same year.
The medicinal mineral waters of Carabaña are hypothermal, strongly mineralized,
sulphurated, sodic and sulphurized4.
Materials and Methods
The information was compiled from the analysis of the medical patient records
belonging to the period from August to December 2010, which totalled 171. However,
22 medical records were discarded because they contained incorrect information.
The data were inputted in Excel tables for analysis.
Results
We analysed 149 medical records, 58 men and 91 women, who averaged 70,64
and 71,21 years of age, respectively. The age and sex distribution is similar to other
population studies5.
Conclusions
Finally, we can say that the prototypical IMSERSO patient of the Balneario
Aguas de Carabaña is a woman over 70 years of age, suffering from arthrosis and at
least one cardiovascular risk factor (high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and
dyslipidemia).
Keywords: Age, Carabaña, Demography, Medical Spa, Sex
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 427
427
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4