CCBAR
Newsletter – August,
2010
Editors: Natalia
Gavrilova and
Stacy Tessler Lindau
News
from
the
NEJM,
Nature
Journals,
Science,
BMJ,
PNAS
and JAMA
Ageing:
Delayed damage
Exercise
and drastic dieting known as caloric restriction are known to have
anti-ageing effects in the brain. Work in mice now suggests that the
lifestyle changes preserve communication between nerves and muscles.Jeff
Ageing:
Proteins clump with age
Ageing worms
accumulate protein clumps similar to those observed in humans with
Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.Cynthia Kenyon and her colleagues
at the University of California, San Francisco, searched for proteins
made by the nematode
Why Can't
We Live Forever?
As we grow old, our
own cells begin to betray us. By unraveling the
mysteries of aging, scientists may be able to make our lives longer and
healthier
Evolutionary
biology: Oh sibling, who art thou?
Help from earlier
offspring in rearing a subsequent brood should evolve
more easily when the mother is strictly monogamous. A comparative study
of birds provides evidence in support of this view.
Evolution:
Sharing a birthday
In groups of banded
mongooses, which rear their young together, two-thirds of females give
birth on the same night, despite mating on different days.Sarah Hodge
at the University of Exeter, UK, and her colleagues looked
Which
way for genetic-test regulation? Leave test interpretation to
specialists
Although largely
unregulated, genetic tests are increasingly used to
diagnose conditions, map ancestry or predict disease risk. In this, the
first of two related pieces, Arthur L. Beaudet advocates the US Food
and Drug Administration banning direct-to-consumer medical tests but
leaving the analysis ...
Which
way for genetic-test regulation? Assign regulation appropriate to the
l...
Although largely
unregulated, genetic tests are increasingly used to
diagnose conditions, map ancestry or predict disease risk. In this, the
second of two related pieces, Gail Javitt argues that the US Food and
Drug Administration should implement a regulatory framework for all
health-related tests....
Behavioural
neuroscience: Genes and the anxious brain
Some people are
naturally more anxious than others. A brain-imaging
study in monkeys provides surprising insights into which brain regions
are under the influence of genes in this phenomenon and which are not.
Prevention:
Reducing the risk of CVD in patients with periodontitis
The association
between periodontitis and other chronic diseases, such
as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus, could be
related to systemic inflammation initiated by a local inflammatory
challenge. Oliveira et al. have added lack of oral hygiene, and its
link with systemic inf...
Therapy:
Vitamin B6, B9 and B12 in diabetic nephropathy?beware
Combination therapy
with vitamins B6, B9 and B12 is a therapeutic
intervention to decrease levels of plasma homocysteine and the risk of
cardiovascular disease. However, a recent trial found that
cosupplementation with these vitamins exacerbated the decline in renal
function and increased the risk o...
Diabetes:
Shining a light: the role of vitamin D in diabetes mellitus
A new study shows
that serum vitamin D concentration is inversely
associated with HbA1c levels among adults in the US aged 35-74 years,
in line with results from other observational studies. Should adults
with diabetes mellitus or at risk of developing this disease take
vitamin D to improve glycemia...
Risk
factors: Eating for two? Maternal weight gain and offspring
cardiovascul...
Gaining an excessive
amount of weight before and during pregnancy could
detrimentally affect the cardiovascular health of the child. This
finding, from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
(ALSPAC) is reported in Circulation by Abigail Fraser and
colleagues.Recruitment of pregnant wom...
Obesity:
Maternal weight linked to congenital anomalies in offspring
Two independent
studies from the US and the UK have established an
association between maternal weight and congenital anomalies in their
offspring.James L. Mills (National Institute of Child Health and
Development, Bethesda, MD, USA) and colleagues chose a
population-based, nested case-control study...
Parkinson
disease: Progress towards a molecular biomarker for Parkinson disease
Proteins linked to
neurodegenerative diseases can potentially be used
as biomarkers. A study now shows that after accounting for confounding
variables such as age and blood contamination...
Multirelational
organization of large-scale social networks in an online worl...
The capacity to
collect fingerprints of individuals in online media
has revolutionized the way researchers explore human society. Social
systems.
Polyandry
increases offspring viability and mother productivity but does not ...
Polyandrous
mating is common, but the benefits for females of
polyandry remain controversial. To test whether mating with multiple
males...
Recovery
of functional and structural age-related changes in the rat primary ...
Cognitive
decline is a virtually universal aspect of the aging
process. However, its neurophysiological basis remains poorly
understood. We describe...
Neural
sensitivity to social rejection is associated with inflammatory
respon...
Although
stress-induced increases in inflammation have been
implicated in several major disorders, including cardiovascular disease
and depression, the neurocognitive pathways...
Biomarkers
and
Aging
in
the
News
Media
• Death
risk link to large waists
People with
large waist sizes, even those with a normal BMI, are at increased risk
of dying, a US study says.
• Arthritis
'cuts Alzheimer's risk'
A protein
produced in rheumatoid arthritis appears to protect against the
development of Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say.
• Really?:
The Claim: Smoking Relieves Stress
Studies have
found that lighting up causes long-term stress levels to rise, not fall.
• Study
Links Stress Biomarker With Delayed Conception
A study is the
first to link a biomarker for stress with delayed conception in normal,
healthy women
• 8
Anti-Aging Secrets French Women Won't Tell You
What Makes
French Women So Timelessly Beautiful? They'll Never Tell, But We Will.
• Study:
U.S. Girls Entering Puberty Earlier
Early
Development Linked to Higher Risk of Breast Cancer, Depression and
Sexual Activity
• As
older people grow in numbers, experts seek ways to handle the coming
boom
The tsunami
looms: By 2050, nearly 90 million Americans will have
passed age 65, and every corner of society will feel the impact. With
our inadequate health-care workforce, outmoded retirement ideas and
rigid housing policies, how can our country prepare? Beyond rethinking
ways to ensure retirement...
• New
health-care law provides free preventive care for many seniors
Preventive
health care is important at any age, but never more so than
as we get older. Many of the major cancers that can be screened for --
such as breast and colorectal cancer -- are typically diagnosed at
about age 70. After age 55, people have a 90 percent chance of
developing high blood pre...
• Medicare
funds to last 12 years longer than earlier forecast, report says
Medicare's
finances have been strengthened by the new law setting in
motion broad changes to the nation's health-care system, according to a
government forecast issued Thursday, which says the fund that pays for
older Americans' hospital care will last a dozen years longer than
expected
• Moscow
deaths double in heatwave
Moscow's health
chief confirms the mortality rate has doubled as a
heatwave and wildfire smog continue to grip the Russian capital.
• Study:
Working mothers not necessarily harmful to child development
A new study
finds that babies raised by working mothers don't
necessarily suffer cognitive setbacks, an encouraging finding that
follows a raft of previous reports suggesting that women with infants
were wiser to stay home.
• Do
Big Babies Turn Into Obese Adults?
While there's
nothing cuter than a chubby baby, newborns that weigh
more than 8 pounds, 12 ounces, may be at risk for obesity in their
adulthood, a new study suggests
• Youngest
in class get ADHD label
Nearly 1 million
children may have been misdiagnosed with attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, not because they have real
behavior .
• Weekend
Reading: Dietary Supplements
Consumer Reports
says people should avoid dietary supplements containing certain risky
ingredients.
• 'Magnetic'
solution to identify and kill tumors
Scientists are
developing a new way to destroy tumors with fewer side
effects and minimal damage to surrounding tissue. The innovative method
uses heat to kill the tumor cells but leaves surrounding healthy tissue
intact. Using specific biomarkers attached to individual tumors, the
mixture of nano-particles and antibodies locates and binds to the tumor
itself.
• Rectal
Cancer on the Rise in Young People
The incidence of
rectal cancer increased 3.8% per year between 1984 and
2005 among individuals age 40 and younger while the incidence of colon
cancer remained unchanged, according to a new study.
• Fit
heart 'keeps brain younger'
Keeping your
heart fit and strong can slow down the ageing of your brain, say
researchers.
• Calcium
pills 'raise' heart risk
Calcium
supplements taken by many older people could be increasing their risk
of a heart attack, research shows.
• Dark
chocolate 'can be healthy'
Eating small
amounts of dark chocolate now and again can lower the risk of heart
failure, a study shows
• Love
red meat? Cutting back just a bit helps heart
Eating too much
red meat has long been a no-no for people with high
cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease. But it hasn't
always been clear how much is too much.
• Berries
May Slow Mental Decline From Aging
Compounds found
in various berries and possibly in walnuts may slow
down natural aging processes in the brain, new research indicates.
• Mystery
as Tokyo loses track of its centenarians
Japanese
authorities admitted Tuesday they'd lost track
of a 113-year-old woman listed as Tokyo's oldest, days after police
searched the home of the city's official oldest man - only to find his
long-dead, mummified body....
• Family
Relations: An International Comparison
A multinational
study finds that elderly Americans and their adult children have
unusually strained relationships.
• Close
friend, family relationships boost survival
Family and
friends may do more than provide companionship: They also
may boost your longevity, making as much of a difference as not
smoking, ...
• Relationship
insecurity may undermine health
People who feel
insecure in their relationships may be at increased
risk for cardiovascular disease and other health problems, according to
a ...
• Marriage
and committed romance reduce stress-related hormone production
Being married
has often been associated with improving people's health,
but a new study suggests that having that long-term bond also alters
hormones in a way that reduces stress. Unmarried people in a committed,
romantic relationship show the same reduced responses to stress as do
married people.
• Study:
Anger Can Harm the Heart
Personality type
and the ability to control anger and other aggressive
behaviors may have an effect on heart health and one's risk for stroke,
according to a new study published in the journal Hypertension.
• Oxytocin
makes people trusting, but not gullible, study suggests
Oxytocin (OT) is
a hormone that plays an important role in social
behavior -- it has even been nicknamed "the love hormone" and "liquid
trust." Increased levels of OT have been associated with greater
caring, generosity, and trust. But does OT increase people's trust in
anybody or does it act more selectively? Recent findings suggest that
OT fosters trust, but not gullibility: OT may make individuals more
trusting, but only in certain situations.
• Study:
The longer you sit, the shorter your life
Women who spent
six hours a day sitting had a 37% increased risk of
dying versus those who spent less than three hours a day on their
bottoms. ...
• Chemicals
in meat may be linked to bladder cancer
The same
chemicals that paint your hot dogs
pink and keep botulism out of your bologna could also raise your risk
of bladder cancer, suggests a new study.
• Low
Blood Flow Ages Brain Faster
People whose
hearts pump blood inefficiently may lose brain volume
faster, putting them at risk for dementia, a new study indicates.
• Too
Little Sleep May Raise Heart Disease Risk
People who sleep
for less than seven hours a day, including naps, are at a higher risk
of cardiovascular disease.
• Exercise
and caloric restriction rejuvenate synapses in lab mice
Researchers have
uncovered a mechanism through which caloric
restriction and exercise delay some of the debilitating effects of
aging by rejuvenating connections between nerves and the muscles that
they control. The research begins to explain prior findings that
exercise and restricted-calorie diets help to stave off the mental and
physical degeneration of aging.
• Cholesterol
levels in young adults predict risk of future heart disease
Young people
with even modestly elevated cholesterol levels are more
likely to develop coronary artery calcium and atherosclerosis later in
life, according to a 20-year study.
NIH
Press
Releases
New breast
cancer committee to establish federal research agenda
A newly formed advisory committee will develop and coordinate a
strategic federal research agenda on environmental and genetic factors
related to breast cancer. The 19-member Interagency Breast Cancer and
Environmental Research Coordinating Committee (IBCERCC) was established
by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), in
collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to review all
breast cancer research efforts conducted or supported by federal
agencies.
Atrazine
causes prostate inflammation in male rats and delays puberty
A new study shows that male rats prenatally exposed to low doses
of
atrazine, a widely used herbicide, are more likely to develop prostate
inflammation and to go through puberty later than non-exposed animals.
The research adds to a growing body of literature on atrazine, an
herbicide predominantly used to control weeds and grasses in crops such
as corn and sugar cane. Atrazine and its byproducts are known to be
relatively persistent in the environment, potentially finding their way
into water supplies.
New NIH
website offers easy access to information on bone health
A new Web resource providing people with the latest
science-based
information on bone health and bone disease is available through the
NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases -- National Resource Center
(NRC). The site is www.bones.nih.gov.
NIH
launches effort to define markers of human immune responses to
infection ...
A new nationwide research initiative has been launched to define
changes in the human immune system, using human and not animal studies,
in response to infection or to vaccination. Six U. S.-based Human
Immune Phenotyping Centers will receive a total of $100 million over
five years to conduct this research.
NIH study
indicates stress may delay women getting pregnant
A study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and
the
University of Oxford supports the widespread belief that stress may
reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant. The study is the first of
its kind to document, among women without a history of fertility
problems, an association between high levels of a substance indicative
of stress and a reduced chance of becoming pregnant.
NIHSeniorHealth
site offers information about older adults and alcohol use
Having a drink now and then as you get older is not usually
thought to
be harmful, but alcohol can be a problem for older adults, especially
if they take certain medications, have health problems or don't control
their drinking. Alcohol Use and Older Adults,
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/alcoholuse/toc.html, the newest topic on
NIHSeniorHealth, provides helpful information about the effect alcohol
may have on our bodies, health and lifestyles as we age.
NIHSeniorHealth is the premier health and wellness website for older
adults. It was developed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and
the National Library of Medicine (NLM), both parts of the National
Institutes of Health.
Women's
cholesterol levels vary with phase of menstrual cycle
National Institutes of Health researchers have shown that
women's
cholesterol levels correspond with monthly changes in estrogen levels.
This natural variation, they suggest, might indicate a need to take
into account the phases of a woman's monthly cycle before evaluating
her cholesterol measures. On average, the total cholesterol level of
the women in the study varied 19 percent over the course of the
menstrual cycle.
NIH Seeks to
Break New Ground in Reducing Health Disparities
The National Institutes of Health today launched a
multidisciplinary
network of experts who will explore new approaches to understanding the
origins of health disparities, or differences in the burden of disease
among population groups. Using state-of-the-science conceptual and
computational models, the network's goal is to identify important areas
where interventions or policy changes could have the greatest impact in
eliminating health disparities. The Office of Behavioral and Social
Sciences Research (OBSSR), part of NIH, is contracting with the
University of Michigan's School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, to
establish the Network on Inequality, Complexity, and Health (NICH).
NIH
Genomic Mapping Study Finds Largest Set of Genes Related to Major Risk
Fa...
Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over
the
world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying
high cholesterol and high triglycerides -- the major risk factors for
coronary heart disease, the nation's number one killer. Taken together,
the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the
inherited portions of cholesterol and triglyceride measured in the
blood. The research, representing scientists from 17 countries, appears
in two papers in the Aug. 5 issue of Nature.
NIH-Funded
Researchers Generate Mature Egg Cells From Early Ovarian Follicles
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have
for the
first time activated mouse egg cells at the earliest stage of their
development and brought them to maturity. In a related experiment, the
researchers replicated the finding by also bringing human eggs to
maturity in the laboratory.
NIH
Director Announces Appointment of Robert Kaplan as Associate Director
for...
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D.,
Ph.D., announced today the appointment of Robert M. Kaplan, Ph.D., as
Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) and
NIH Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. Dr.
Kaplan is expected to join the NIH in early 2011.
NIH-Funded
Researchers Make Progress Toward Regenerating Tissue to Re...
A team of NIH-funded researchers has successfully regenerated
rabbit joints using a cutting edge process to form the joint inside the
body, or in vivo. Regenerative in vivo procedures are performed by
stimulating previously irreparable organs or tissues to heal
themselves. In this study, bioscaffolds, or three-dimensional
structures made of biocompatible and biodegradable materials in the
shape of the tissue, were infused with a protein to promote growth of
the rabbit joint.
NIH
Announcements
Psychosocial
Stress and Behavior: Integration of Behavioral and Physiological...
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Development
of Comprehensive and Conceptually-based Measures of Psychosocial ...
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Basic
Mechanisms Influencing Behavioral Maintenance (R01)
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Chronic,
Non-Communicable Diseases and Disorders Across the Lifespan: Fogarty...
Program
Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Participation
of NIGMS on PAR-10-235, Climate Change and Health: Assessing an...
Effects
of the Social Environment on Health: Measurement, Methods and Mechani...
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Biobehavioral
Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists (BRAINS) (R01)
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
NICHD
Program Project Grant (P01)
Program
Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
NICHDs
Scientific Vision: The Next Decade
Claude
D.
Pepper
Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs) (P30)
Request For
Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-AG-11-002
Expiration Date:
October 22, 2010
Alzheimer’s
Disease
Core
Centers (P30)
Request For
Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-AG-11-005
Expiration Date:
October 14, 2010
Epigenomics
of
Human
Health and Disease (R01)
Request for
Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-ES-10-002
Expiration Date:
September 30, 2010
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
Correction
on
the
First
Submission
Date
for
Resubmission
and
Revision Applica...
Notice from the
NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts
Advancing
Novel
Science
in
Womens
Health Research (ANSWHR) (R21)
Program
Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Subjective
Well-being:
Advances
in
Measurement
and
Applications
to
Aging
(R01)
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Regional
and
International
Differences
in
Health
and
Longevity
at
Older Ages ...
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Expiration
Date:
October
15, 2010
Events
Conferences:
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 Washington,
DC,
on October 4-5, 2010. Online registration for the meeting is now open,
and you
can register by following this link: Cognitive
Aging
Summit
2010
–
Registration
Gerontological
Society
of
America's
63rd
Annual
Scientific
Meeting, November
19-23, 2010,
Hilton, New Orleans Riverside, New Orleans, LA.
4th National
Conference on Genomics and Public Health: Using Genomic Information
to Improve Health Now and in the Future.
Date: Wednesday, December 8 - Friday, December 10, 2010. Location:
Bethesda North Marriott in Bethesda, Maryland
Population
Association of America Annual Meeting.
The 2011 Annual Meeting will be held March 31-April 2 at the Marriott
Wardman Hotel, Washington, DC.
(Note: The Welcome Mixer is on Wednesday, March 30, 8:30 p.m.)
2011
American
Geriatrics
Society
Annual
Meeting, May 11-14, 2011.
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, MD.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
NOTE: We have added new subscribers of Newsletter this
month.
Please contact us if you know other researchers who would be interested
in
receiving CCBAR monthly newsletter. If you would like to
unsubscribe
please notify us at ngavrilova@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu