The systemic use of procaine in the treatment of the elderly: a review
clinical paper · 1977
LINK
SUMMARY
The load-bearing disconfirmation for this case: a review and evaluation of the world literature on systemic procaine (and Gerovital, of which procaine is the major component) in the aging process and the chronic diseases of later life, drawing on data from 285 articles and books describing treatment of more than 100,000 patients over 25 years. Its conclusion (quoted in the case): 'Except for a possible antidepressant effect, there is no convincing evidence that procaine (or Gerovital, of which procaine is the major component) has any value in the treatment of disease in older patients.' Citation metadata (authors, journal, volume, issue, pages, year, PMID, DOI) copied from the NCBI PubMed record and Crossref on 2026-06-03 (esummary returned 'Ostfeld A, Smith CM, Stotsky BA', J Am Geriatr Soc 25:1-19, 1977 Jan, PMID 12204; Crossref/DOI 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1977.tb00917.x).
NOTES
The Ostfeld, Smith, and Stotsky 1977 review in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is the definitive evaluation of the procaine-and-Gerovital literature. After surveying 285 works covering more than 100,000 treated patients across 25 years, it found no convincing evidence that procaine or Gerovital has value against aging or the chronic diseases of later life, allowing only a possible antidepressant effect that could plausibly account for patients’ reduced complaints across body systems. It is cited as the case’s central refutation of the longevity and disease claims.