CCBAR
Newsletter – April-May, 2008
Editors:
Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
CCBAR
News
In an attempt to
reinvigorate annual scientific meetings on integration of biological
measures in population research, CCBAR will host an Advanced Modeling
Issues in Integrated Biopsychosocial Research Seminar Friday, May 23,
2008 in Chicago. The meeting will include an update on the
Biodemography Working Group Meeting held 4/08 adjacent to Population
Association of America Annual Meeting in New Orleans (transcript
forthcoming to CCBAR website) and will “pilot” the idea of using the
annual workshop for research-in-progress presentations that will engage
participants in discussion of advanced modeling issues in integrated
biopsychosocial research. It will also serve to help us identify
key topics, themes and speakers for future meeting agendas. We
will also publish proceedings from this meeting, as space is very
limited. These are frequently
accessed and feedback is repeatedly excellent about the usefulness of
these materials. Please contact Jessica Schwartz at jschwartz@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu
for more information.
Proceedings of the
2007 Chicago Annual Biomeasures meeting are available online.
Please visit CCBAR website at http://biomarkers.uchicago.edu/workshopproceedings.htm
News
From the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ and PNAS
[Social_Sciences]
The rise and fall of excess male infant mortality
The male disadvantage in infant mortality underwent a surprising
rise and fall in the 20th century. Our analysis of 15...
Dynamics of
fat cell turnover in humans
Obesity is increasing in an epidemic manner in most countries and
constitutes a public health problem by enhancing the risk for
cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes.
Owing to the increase in obesity, life expectancy may start to decrease
in developed countries for the first time in recent history.
ORIGINAL
ARTICLE: Coronary Calcium as a Predictor of Coronary Events in Four ...
In an analysis from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis,
6722 men
and women without cardiovascular disease from four ethnic groups
underwent coronary calcium scanning and were followed for a median of
3.8 years. For each ethnic group, there was an increase in the risk of
subsequent coronary events with an increase in the baseline coronary
calcium score.
[Neuroscience]
Endogenous steroids and financial risk taking on a London trad...
Little is known about the role of the endocrine system in financial
risk taking. Here, we report the findings of...
[Cell_Biology]
From the Cover: Magnesium deficiency accelerates cellular sene...
Magnesium inadequacy affects more than half of the U.S. population
and is associated with increased risk for many age-related diseases,...
[Anthropology-BS]
Reproductive conflict and the separation of reproductive ge...
An enduring puzzle of human life history is why women cease
reproduction midway through life. Selection can favor postreproductive
survival...
[Neuroscience]
Decreased corticolimbic allopregnanolone expression during soc...
Mice subjected to social isolation (3–4 weeks) exhibit enhanced
contextual fear responses and impaired fear extinction. These responses
are time-related...
PERSPECTIVE:
Planning for the Future -- Long-Term Care and the 2008 Election
Long-term care has all the makings of a great campaign issue. It
affects a large portion of the population, it is expensive (it
currently accounts for about 10% of all ...
Biomarkers
and Aging in the News Media
• Daily
caffeine 'protects brain'
Coffee may cut
the risk of dementia by blocking possible cholesterol
damage to the body, research finds.
• Building
strong bones throughout your life
The truth: By
age 35 your bone strength has usually peaked, and by age
50 your risk of breaking a bone because of osteoporosis may be as high
as one in two. But here's an important secret: Experts say smart
lifestyle greatly improve your odds of avoiding bone problems.
• Vital
Signs: At Risk: Pot Belly in Midlife Is Linked to Dementia
People with a
large pot belly in midlife are at increased risk for
dementia in their later years, according to a new study.
• Golden
Years Longer And Wealthier
Older Americans
are living longer and with more money than previous
generations, according to a new government report on aging in the U.S.
• Kidney
Disease Hospitalizations Soar
The annual
number of U.S. hospitalizations of people with kidney
disease quadrupled from 1980 to 2005, according to the CDC. The rise
was greatest in people aged 65 and older.
• Study:
More Women Can Cut Cancer Relapse Risk
Women who
survive breast cancer are often haunted by the fear that it
might come back. But new research indicates that many more women than
had been thought can do something to protect themselves.
• Large
waist may raise death risk for women
NEW YORK
(Reuters Health) - Women with large bellies may die earlier of
heart disease and cancer than other women, regardless of their weight,
a large U.S. study suggests.
• The
oldest Americans are also the happiest, research finds
CHICAGO (AP) --
It turns out the golden years really are golden.
Eye-opening new research finds the happiest Americans are the oldest,
and older adults are more socially active than the stereotype of the
lonely senior suggests. The two go hand-in-hand: Being social can help
keep away the blues....
• Life
Expectancy Is Declining in Some Pockets of the Country
A new study
finds a growing disparity in mortality depending on race,
income and geography.
• Vital
Signs: Aging: Smoking, Drinking and Alzheimer's Risk
People who are
on a path to develop Alzheimer's disease may hasten its
arrival if they drink or smoke too much, researchers say.
• Longevity quest
moves slowly from lab to life
Research on
centenarians plus laboratory work with yeast, worms, flies
and rodents are propelling scientists closer to understanding what
causes aging and how to delay it.
• Never too old for a
mammogram, study says
Women aged 80
and older who have regular mammograms significantly
reduce their chances of being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer,
according to a new study.
• Hormone
Therapy May Cut Risk of AMD
There is growing
evidence that hormone therapy may help protect older
women against age-related macular degeneration -- the leading cause of
age-related blindness.
• High
Blood Levels Of Vitamin D Protect Women From Breast Cancer, Study
Suggests
High blood
levels of vitamin D protect post-menopausal women from
breast cancer. This connection has been confirmed by research of the
German Cancer Research Center. It also shows that a particular gene
variant of the vitamin D receptor is associated with an elevated breast
cancer risk if the tumor has receptors for the female sex hormone
estrogen.
Gene
Linked to Inherited Blood Biomarker Associated with Asthma Risk
Risk for
developing asthma is linked to variants in a gene called
CHI3L1, which can be measured by checking levels of an inherited blood
protein regulated by that gene, according to new research sponsored by
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National
Institutes of Health.
Aggressively
Lowering Cholesterol and Blood Pressure May Reverse Atherosclero...
Aggressively
lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels below
current targets in adults with type 2 diabetes may help to prevent --
and possibly reverse -- hardening of the arteries, according to new
research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.
• Perk
Of Good Job: Aging Mind Is Sharp
Mentally
demanding jobs come with a hidden benefit: less mental decline
with age, a Duke study suggests.
• Short
Arms, Legs: A Risk For Dementia?
The length of
your arms and legs could help determine your risk for
developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
• B
Vitamins Fail to Lower Heart Risks
Daily
supplements of folic acid and B vitamins do not appear to lower
the risk of heart disease or stroke in women.
• Many
Depressed Older Adults Lack Vitamin D
Researchers have
linked low blood levels of vitamin D to depression
among older adults.
NIH
Press Releases
Scientists
Find Genetic Factor in Stress Response Variability
Inherited
variations in the amount of an innate anxiety-reducing
molecule help explain why some people can withstand stress better than
others, according to a new study led by researchers at the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH).
Rates of
Rare Mutations Soar Three to Four Times Higher in Schizophrenia
People with
schizophrenia have higher rates of rare genetic deletions
and duplications that likely disrupt the developing brain, according to
studies funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
Mental
Disorders Cost Society Billions in Unearned Income
Major mental
disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually
in lost earnings alone, according to a new study funded by the National
Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Research
Findings Open New Front in Fight against AIDS Virus
A research group
supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
has uncovered a new route for attacking the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) that may offer a way to circumvent problems with drug
resistance.
NIH Announcements
Biomarkers
of Infection-Associated Cancers (R01)
Program
Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Biomarkers
of Infection-Associated Cancers (R21)
Program
Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Limited
Competition: Renewal of Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (CO...
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
PA-07-421,
Health Promotion Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Males (R21): A F...
Notice from the
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
NIH
Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13)
PA-08-149
Biomarkers
for Older Controls at Risk for Dementia (BIOCARD) Study
Extension (U01)
Request For
Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-AG-09-002
Functional
Links between the Immune System, Brain Function and Behavior (R01)
Research
on the Economics of Diet, Activity, and Energy Balance (R01)
Events
June 9-13,
2008 HRS will conduct a workshop during the 2008 Summer
Institute in Survey Research Techniques. Topics will include
physical measures and biomarkers.
June 9-11, 2008. Cells to Society
(C2S) will host its third annual Summer
Biomarker Institute on the Evanston campus of Northwestern
University.
January
28-29, 2009. The
National Social
Life Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) will host the *NSHAP
Early Results Conference*, an NIA funded, competitive workshop to
present findings on integrated health and aging research using the
first wave of the NSHAP data. Please contact Sara
Leitsch at Leitsch-Sara@norc.org for more
information.
Gerontological Society of America Annual
meeting will
be held November 21-25, 2008 in National Harbor, Maryland
Population
Association of America Annual Meeting. April 30-May 2,
2009. Detroit, Michigan Marriott Renaissance Center
The 19th IAGG World
Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics. July 5-10, 2009.
Paris, France
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This
Newsletter is
supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging, National
Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
