Editors: Natalia
Gavrilova and
Stacy Tessler Lindau
CCBAR members, Drs.
Stacy Tessler Lindau and Natalia Gavrilova, took part in the Genomics Workshop organized by
Demography of Aging Centers Biomarker Network (Teresa Seeman, Steven
Cole, Eileen Crimmins). Dr. Steven Cole (UCLA), the main presenter at
the Workshop, provided information on the following topics related to
the collection and analysis of genetic materials in population-based
surveys: (1) Tactical aspects of study administration and sample
capture/storage; (2) Biological overview of genetics & functional
genomics; (3) Strategic aspects of study design and data analysis; (4)
Perspectives on the state of the field. Researchers working with
the Health and
Retirement Study, The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health,
Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study (SEBAS) in
Natalia
Gavrilova also participated in the annual meeting of the Population
Association of America (
News from the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS and JAMA
Lessons
on longevity from budding yeast
Coronary
artery disease: Biological ageing - a potentially modifiable risk
fact...
Research conducted in patients with coronary heart disease suggests
that
increasing dietary intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids could slow
cellular
ageing. The longitudinal study by Ramin Farzaneh-Far from the
Salt
reductions to save lives and $$$
Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo and colleagues have shown that reducing dietary
salt
intake by 3 g per day would substantially reduce mortality and new
cases
of coronary heart disease, stroke, and myocardial infarction, and save
more
than $10 billion per year in the
Nutrition:
Soy food intake and breast cancer
Consumption of soy foods is safe for patients with breast cancer and
may have
beneficial effects on recurrence of breast cancer and mortality rates,
according to a new study published in JAMA.Soy foods are the main
dietary
source of isoflavones, a major group
Alzheimer
disease: Cancer link to Alzheimer disease, but not vascular dementia
A team led by Cathy Roe at Washington University School of Medicine has
found
an association between Alzheimer disease (AD) and cancer risk, with the
presence of one condition reducing the chances of subsequent diagnosis
of the
other. Common neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying cancer and AD
Cerebrospinal
fluid and plasma biomarkers in Alzheimer disease
Intense multidisciplinary research has provided detailed knowledge of
the molecular
pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). This knowledge has been
translated into
new therapeutic strategies with putative disease-modifying effects.
Several of
the most promising approaches, such as amyloid-beta immunoth...
Chipping
away at the genetics of smoking behavior
Three large consortia present comprehensive analyses that identify
genetic
factors influencing smoking initiation, intensity and cessation. The
genetic
architecture of these three phases of smoking behavior appears to be
largely
distinct.
Cooperative
behavior cascades in human social networks [Social_Sciences]
Theoretical models suggest that social networks influence the evolution
of
cooperation, but to date there have been few experimental studies....
Trajectories
of Disability in the Last Year of Life
This longitudinal study involving older adults identified five
trajectories
during the last year of life: no disability, catastrophic disability,
accelerated disability, progressive disability, and persistently severe
disability. Most of the subjects who died suddenly had no disability,
and most
of ...
Intelligence,
education, and mortality
Caloric
Sweetener Consumption and Dyslipidemia Among US Adults [Original Cont...
Dietary carbohydrates have been associated with dyslipidemia, a lipid
profile
known to increase cardiovascular disease risk. Added sugars (caloric
sweeteners
used as ingredients in processed or prepared foods) are an increasing
and
potentially modifiable component in the
Erectile
dysfunction and CVD
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is inextricably linked with abnormal
functioning of
the endothelial progenitor cells involved in vascular repair, which has
been
postulated to be an early mechanism of atherosclerosis. Several studies
have
identified an association between ED and the presence of cardiovascu...
Aspirin
for Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in a General Population Scree...
A low ankle brachial index (ABI) indicates atherosclerosis and an
increased
risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Screening for a low
ABI can
identify an asymptomatic higher risk group potentially amenable to
preventive treatments.
Taking
DNA from the dead
Using cadaveric specimens in genome research presents many benefits:
investigators can study multiple organs from one individual, including
those
impossible to collect from living donors (for example, brains), and
health
risks are minimized as the individual is deceased. Several genomic
research
ini...
Dried
Blood Spot Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays to Screen
Newborn...
Reliable methods to screen newborns for congenital cytomegalovirus
(CMV)
infection are needed for identification of infants at increased risk of
hearing
loss. Since dried blood spots (DBS) are routinely collected for
metabolic
screening from all newborns in the
Integrating
high-throughput technologies in the quest for effective biomarker...
Despite widespread interest, few serum biomarkers have been introduced
to the
clinic over the past 20 years. Each approach to ovarian cancer
biomarker
discovery has its own advantages and disadvantages and it seems likely
that a
global biomarker discovery platform that mines all possible sources
Chemotherapy:
Biomarkers of chemotherapy response in breast cancer
Profiling tumors for two important target-based biomarkers can help to
accurately predict the response to anthracycline-containing
chemotherapy in
patients with breast cancer, according to a recent study. Lead
investigator
Bent Ejlertsen commented that by combining the biomarkers topoisomerase
II
al...
Association of Maternal Stature With
Offspring
Mortality, Underweight, and St...
Context Although maternal stature has been associated with
offspring mortality and health, the extent to which this association is
universal across developing countries is unclear.
Objective To examine the association between maternal
stature and
offspring mortality, underweight, stuntin...
Biomarkers
and
Aging in the News Media
• Study: Chocolate could reduce heart
risk
The Easter Bunny might lower your chances of having a heart problem.
According
to a new study, small doses of chocolate every day could decrease your
risk of
having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 40 percent....
• New type of ultrasound might lessen
need for some
biopsies
Every year in the
• Biological link between stress,
anxiety and
depression identified
Scientists have discovered the biological link between stress, anxiety
and
depression. By identifying the connecting mechanism in the brain, the
researchers show exactly how stress and anxiety could lead to
depression. The
study also reveals a small molecule inhibitor developed by
• Facial aging is more than skin deep
Facelifts and other wrinkle-reducing procedures have long been sought
by people
wanting to ward off the signs of aging, but new research suggests that
it takes
more than tightening loose skin to restore a youthful look. A new study
indicates that significant changes in facial bones -- particularly the
jaw bone
-- occur as people age and contribute to an aging appearance.
• Many grow happier with the years,
experts say
Mounting evidence suggests aging may be a key to happiness. There is
conflicting research on the subject, however, and experts say it may
all boil
down to this: Attitude is everything.
• 7 ways the mind and body change with
age
The poster child of aging seems to be a wrinkly-faced, forgetful,
grumpy old
man. But science is painting another, more in-depth picture of aging
Americans.
• Power up with disease-fighting
superfoods
A recent surge in clinical research reveals a new crop of superfoods
that can
help lower your risks of everything from cancer and heart disease to
macular
degeneration and osteoporosis.
• Overactive Thyroid May Raise Early
Stroke Risk
Hyperthyroidism was linked to a 44% increase in stroke risk among
adults under
age 45 in a newly reported study.
• Multivitamins Linked to Breast Cancer
Risk
Taking multivitamins may be linked to an increased risk for breast
cancer, a
study shows.
• Multivitamins May Cut Breast Cancer
Risk
Multivitamins and calcium supplements may help protect women against
breast
cancer, new research suggests.
• Breast cancer risk tied to
grandmother's diet
Eating too much fat in pregnancy may be an indulgence that has a
less-than-beneficial effect on generations to come, say researchers.
Their
unique study in rats shows that pregnant females that ate a high fat
diet not
only increased breast cancer risk in their female daughters but also in
that
daughter's offspring -- the "granddaughters."
• Quick new screening exam could save
thousands of
people from bowel cancer
A five-minute screening test could cut the risk of developing bowel
cancer by a
third and save thousands of lives from what is the UK's second biggest
cancer
killer, according to new research.
• Breakthrough method predicts risk of
invasive
breast cancer
For the first time, scientists have discovered a way to predict whether
women
with ductal carcinoma in situ -- the most common form of non-invasive
breast
cancer -- are at risk of developing more invasive tumors in later
years
• Endocrine disruptors: Babies absorb
the most
bisphenol A
The hormonally active substance bisphenol A is contained in many
synthetic and
packaging materials. As a result, the substance can find its way into
the food
chain and the human organism. Just who is exposed and to what extent is
shown
in a new study: babies who are fed with polycarbonate bottles are
especially at
risk.
• Exposure to three classes of common
chemicals may
affect female development, ...
Researchers have found that exposure to three common chemical classes
--
phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens -- in young girls may disrupt
the timing
of pubertal development, and put girls at risk for health complications
later
in life. The study is the first to examine the effects of these
chemicals on
pubertal development.
• Why steaks may be healthier rare not
well done
Eating lots of meat, especially if it is overcooked, increases the risk
of
bladder cancer, say experts.
• Simple carbs bad for women's hearts
A diet rich in carbohydrates that are quickly transformed into sugar in
the
blood raises the risk of heart disease for women, ...
• Vital Signs: Aging: Diet May Be Linked
to Lower
Alzheimer's Risk in Older People
A study showed that people who mostly ate foods low in saturated fat
and rich
in nutrients were at one-third lower risk of the disease than those who
ate
more higher-fat foods.
• Study: CT scans may help the healthy
gauge heart
risk
A new study suggests that CT heart scans may help millions of seemingly
healthy
people get a better fix on their heart risk.
• What women eat may affect kids,
grandkids
Eating a high-fat diet during pregnancy can increase the risk of cancer
in
future children and grandchildren ? even if they eat well ? a new study
conducted in rats suggests.
• Baby Boomers May Outlive Their Kids
Thanks to rising obesity rates among the younger generation, more and
more baby
boomers may end up outliving their children.
• Brisk Walking Reduces Stroke Risk
Women who walk two or more hours per week or who walk at a brisk pace
can
significantly reduce their risk of suffering a stroke, new research
indicates.
• Obesity associated with increased risk
of
fibromyalgia
Researchers in
• WATCH: CDC Report: Americans at Risk
of Heart
Disease
CDC report says 45 percent of adults have high blood pressure, high
cholesterol
or diabetes, putting them at risk for heart attack.
NIH
Press Releases
NIH Study Offers Hope to Patients with
Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
A daily dose of a specific form of vitamin E significantly improved the
liver
disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), according to a study
funded by
the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK) of
the National Institutes of Health. Results were published April 28
online in
the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, Actos (pioglitazone),
a drug
used to treat diabetes, also improved many features of NASH but was
associated
with weight gain.
Statement of NIH Director on Federal
Funding for
Embryonic Stem Cell Lines
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.,
announced today that 13 additional human embryonic stem cell lines have
been
approved for federal funding and added to the NIH Stem Cell Registry.
Independent Panel Finds Insufficient
Evidence to
Support Preventive Measures ...
Many preventive measures for cognitive decline and for preventing
Alzheimer's
disease mental stimulation, exercise, and a variety of dietary
supplements --
have been studied over the years. However, an independent panel
convened this
week by the National Institutes of Health determined that the value of
these
strategies for delaying the onset and/or reducing the severity of
decline or
disease hasn't been demonstrated in rigorous studies.
Adding Coronary Calcium Score to
Traditional Risk
Factors Improves Risk Asses...
Including a coronary artery calcium score in a risk assessment for
future heart
disease events, such as heart attacks, provides a better estimate in
some
populations than a standard coronary risk factors assessment, according
to
research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI),
part of the National Institutes of Health.
Impaired Brain Connections Traced to
Schizophrenia Mutation
The strongest known recurrent genetic cause of schizophrenia impairs
communications between the brain's decision-making and memory hubs,
resulting
in working memory deficits, according to a study in mice.
Independent Panel to Present
Alzheimer's Disease
and Cognitive Decline Preven...
For many older adults, cognitive health and performance remain stable,
with
only a gradual and slight decline in short-term memory and reaction
times.
Others, however, progress into a more serious state of cognitive
impairment or
into various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
Traditional 'Heel Stick' Test Is Not
an Effective
Screening Tool for CMV in N...
A routine screening test for several metabolic and genetic disorders in
newborns, the heel-stick procedure, is not effective in screening for
cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a leading cause of hearing loss in
children,
according to research published in the April 14 online issue of the
Journal of
the American Medical Association.
Additional Genes Associated with
Age-Related
Macular Degeneration Identified
A large genetic study of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has
identified
three new genes associated with this blinding eye disease -- two
involved in
the cholesterol pathway. Results of this large-scale collaborative
study,
supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National
Institutes of
Health, were published online April 12 in the Proceedings of the
National
Academy of Sciences.
Targeting the Blood-Brain Barrier May
Delay
Progression of Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers may be one step closer to slowing the onset and progression
of
Alzheimer's disease. An animal study supported by the National
Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes
of
Health, shows that by targeting the blood-brain barrier, researchers
are able
to slow the accumulation of a protein associated with the progression
of the
illness. The blood-brain barrier separates the brain from circulating
blood,
and it protects the brain by removing toxic metabolites and proteins
formed in
the brain and preventing entry of toxic chemicals from the blood.
Sleep Apnea Tied to Increased Risk of
Stroke
Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of stroke
in
middle-aged and older adults, especially men, according to new results
from a
landmark study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute
(NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Overall, sleep apnea more
than
doubles the risk of stroke in men. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common
disorder
in which the upper airway is intermittently narrowed or blocked,
disrupting
sleep and breathing during sleep.
Vitamin C and E Supplements Do Not
Reduce Risk
for Blood Pressure Disorders o...
Taking vitamin C and E supplements starting in early pregnancy does not
reduce
the risk for the hypertensive disorders and their complications that
occur
during pregnancy, according to a study by a National Institutes of
Health
research network.
NIH
Announcements
Restructured
Application Forms and Instructions for Submissions for FY2011 Fu...
Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Change in Application Submission
Package and
Clarification of Research Strate...
Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Aging Studies in the Pulmonary System
(R01)
Enhancing Peer Review: Clarification
of
Resubmission Policy and Determination of New Application Status
Notice Number: NOT-OD-10-080
Diet Composition and Energy Balance
(R01)
Expiration Date: May 8, 2013
Social Network Analysis and Health
(R01)
Expiration Date: May 12, 2012
Behavioral and Social Science Research
on
Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01)
Expiration Date: May 12, 2013
Obesity
Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures (R01)
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Obesity
Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures (R21)
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Obesity
Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures (R03)
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Events
2010
American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting, May 12 - 15,
2010
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
The National
Institute on Aging,
in conjunction with the McKnight Brain Research Foundation and the
Foundation
for NIH, will be holding the Second Cognitive Aging Summit to take
place in
Abstracts Deadline: March 15, 2010
This Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
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