CCBAR
Newsletter
– January,
2014
Editors:
Natalia
Gavrilova
and
Stacy
Tessler
Lindau
CCBAR News:
Natalia
Gavrilova participated in the 5th International Symposium "Living to
100" (January
8-10, Orlando,
FL) organized by the Society of Actuaries. This year the symposium
agenda had more biomedical presentations including keynote
presentations by Nir Barzilai, M.D., Professor of Medicine and
Genetics, Albert
Einstein College of Medicine, "Could Moses Live to be 120?" and Anthony
Atala, M.D., Director of Wake Forest Institute
for Regenerative Medicine, "Regenerative Medicine: New Approaches to
Health Care." More information about the
Symposium including slides of presentations (linked to the Agenda page)
is available at the following website:
News
from
the
NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS, Lancet and JAMA
Realizing
the promise of cancer predisposition genes
by Nazneen Rahman
Genes in which germline mutations confer highly or moderately increased
risks of cancer are called cancer predisposition genes. More than 100
of these genes have been identified, providing important scientific
insights in many areas, particularly the mechanisms of cancer
causation. Moreover, clinica...
Fit
for purpose
Regular exercise helps with work-life balance, survey indicates.
Tobacco
Control Progress and Potential
by Frieden TR.
The 1964 surgeon general's
report on the
health harms of smoking hit the country like a bombshell. More
than
40% of US adults smoked, and smoking was accepted and considered normal
behavior. Today, the US adult smoking rate is around 18% and about half
of Americans are protected from secondhand sm...
Smoking
Prevalence and Cigarette Consumption in 187 Countries, 1980-2012
by Ng M, Freeman MK, Fleming TD, et al.
Tobacco is a leading global
disease risk factor. Understanding national trends in prevalence and
consumption is critical for prioritizing action and evaluating tobacco
control progress. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of daily
smoking
by age and sex and the number of cigarettes per smok...
An
innate link between obesity and asthma
by Juan C CeledónJay K Kolls
The concordant epidemics of asthma and obesity are both associated with
inflammation, and obesity has been shown to be an independent risk
factor for asthma. A new study in mice indicates that part of the
immunological connection between obesity and asthma involves
inflammasome activation and produc...
The
Many Faces of Sirtuins: Sirtuins and the Warburg effect
by Leonard Guarente
Metabolic regulators that permit adaptation to changes in caloric
intake have been shown to be needed to protect from age-related
disorders. Sirtuins play a crucial part in this program, impinging on
not only aging but also other diseases. New findings are uncovering the
multifaceted activity of sir...
The
Many Faces of Sirtuins: Coupling of NAD metabolism, sirtuins and
lifespan
by Eric Verdin
Multivitamins
Offer No Protection to Brains or Hearts
by Slomski A.
One-third of individuals in
the United
States consume multivitamins, but they shouldn't count on the
supplements to prevent cognitive decline or reduce the risk of
cardiovascular events after a heart attack, conclude authors of 2
randomized placebo-controlled trials.
Sex
differences in structural connectome [Neuroscience]
by Ingalhalikar, M., Smith, A., Parker, D., Satterthwaite, T.
D.,
Elliott, M. A., Ruparel, K., Hakonarson, H., Gur, R. E., Gur, R. C.,
Verma, R.
Sex differences in human behavior show adaptive complementarity: Males
have better motor and spatial abilities, whereas females have superior
memory and social cognition skills. Studies also show sex differences
in human brains but do not explain this complementarity. In this work,
we modeled the st...
Biomarkers
of sex differences in vaccine responses [Systems Biology]
by Furman, D., He&jnodot;blum, B. P., Simon, N.,
Jo&jnodot;ic, V., Dekker, C. L., Thiebaut, R., Tibshirani, R.
J.,
Davis, M. M.
Females have generally more robust immune responses than males for
reasons that are not well-understood. Here we used a systems analysis
to investigate these differences by analyzing the neutralizing antibody
response to a trivalent inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV)
and a large number of ...
More
Evidence for Coronary Calcium as a Measure of Cardiovascular Risk Has
An...
by Greenland P.
Prevention is a valued goal
in both
public health and clinical medicine, but the methods differ. In
clinical medicine, the focus is on the individual patient and
'personalized' assessment and intervention are highly desirable. Thus,
in prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD), while the public hea...
Alzheimer
Gene APOE e4 Linked to Brain Development in Infants
by Mc Donald J, Krainc D.
Biomarkers
and
Aging
in
the
News
Media
•
Good
cholesterol 'can turn nasty'
Good cholesterol also has a downside and it can increase the risk of
heart attacks, according to US doctors.
• The
new face of food stamps: working-age Americans
In a first, working-age people now make up the
majority in U.S. households that rely on food stamps - a switch from a
few years ago, when children and the elderly were the main
recipients....
• Antibiotics
in Animals Tied to Risk of Human Infection
A federal analysis of 30 antibiotics used in animal feed found that the
majority of them were likely to be contributing to bacterial infections
that are resistant to treatment in people, according to documents
released by a health advocacy group.
• Mind:
The Older Mind May Just Be a Fuller Mind
It's not so much that the mental faculties of older people are rapidly
declining, it's that their databases are fuller, a new study suggests.
• DDT
pesticide linked to Alzheimer's risk
Daily health headlines: A pesticide banned may raise Alzheimer's risk
through imported foods, doctors think of new ways to curb antibiotic
prescriptions, plus how yoga helps cancer survivors and more health
stories.
• Vitamin
D's health benefits in question
Vitamin D supplements may not keep you healthy, say New Zealand
researchers, obese moms may be putting their kids at risk for life-long
health problems, plus more top stories
• Vitamin
D may help early multiple sclerosis
Daily health headlines: Boosting vitamin D could help people with
multiple sclerosis, spending more time in sun may boost longevity, plus
more top stories
• Too
Much Sitting May Raise Heart Failure Risk for Men
Study found even exercise did not compensate for sedentary behavior
• Sunlight
Might Be Good for Your Blood Pressure: Study
Researchers figure out why, suggest not getting enough might raise risk
for heart disease
• Labeling
obesity as a disease may have psychological costs
Messages that describe obesity as a disease may undermine healthy
behaviors and beliefs among obese individuals, according to a new
study. The findings show that obese individuals exposed to such
messages placed less importance on health-focused dieting and reported
less concern about weight. These beliefs, in turn, predicted
unhealthier food choices.
• Scientists
find genetic mechanism linking aging to specific diets
In new research published, scientists identify a collection of genes
that allow an organism to adapt to different diets and show that
without them, even minor tweaks to diet can cause premature aging and
death.
• Nipping
diabetes in the blood
79 million Americans are thought to have "prediabetes," a condition
that puts them at risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Now researchers
have discovered that a simple blood test can reveal an individual's
risk of developing type-2 diabetes before they develop prediabetes --
far earlier than previously believed. The findings could help doctors
provide earlier diagnosis and treatment.
• Researchers
find changes to protein SirT1
Studies have suggested that the protein SirT1 may be protective in
metabolic diseases and the effects of aging, and diminished SirT1
activity has been reported in various disease models including diabetes
and metabolic syndrome. Maintaining a normal level of this protein may
be effective in preventing obesity- and age-related diseases.
• Chocolate,
Tea, Berries May Cut Diabetes Risk: Study
Substances found in some people's favorite foods appear to benefit
blood sugar, inflammation levels
• Traumatic
brain injury may triple risk for early death
People with TBIs three times more likely to die before age of 56 than
those without injury
• Who
should get the PSA test for prostate cancer?
Government advisory panel recommends against PSA test because of false
positive risk, damage caused by treatment; but some experts argue not
treating cancer is more dangerous
• Melatonin
may lower prostate cancer risk
Higher levels of melatonin, a hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle,
may suggest decreased risk for developing advanced prostate cancer,
according to results of new
• Precancerous
Cells on Cervix Tied to Higher Risk of Disease, Death
Large Swedish study also found risk increases with age
• Cervical
Cancer Screening Found to Benefit Older Women in New Study
Researchers say their results support screening women up to age 65 and
beyond
• Drinking
linked to faster mental decline in men
Middle-aged men risk a faster mental decline as they
age if they've been drinking heavily for years, new research
suggests....
• 'Obesity
paradox' busted: Being pudgy not healthier for diabetics
The "obesity paradox" - the controversial notion that being overweight
might actually be healthier for some people with diabetes - seems to be
a myth, researchers report. A major study finds there's no survival
advantage to being large, and a disadvantage to being very large.
• Altering
the community of gut bacteria promotes health and increases lifespan
Having the right balance of gut bacteria may be the key to enjoying a
long healthy life. Scientists promoted health and increased lifespan in
Drosophila by altering the symbiotic relationship between bacteria and
the absorptive cells lining the intestine. The work provides a model
for studying diseases associated with the aging gut, and how we go from
having a young, healthy gut to one that is old and decrepit.
• The
way to a chimpanzee's heart is through its stomach
Researchers measured the urinary oxytocin levels in wild chimpanzees
after food sharing and found them to be elevated in both donor and
receiver compared to social feeding events without sharing.
Furthermore, oxytocin levels were higher after food sharing than after
grooming, another cooperative behavior, suggesting that food sharing
might play a more important role in promoting social bonding.
• Spirituality,
religion may protect against major depression by thickening bra...
A thickening of parts of the brain cortex associated with regular
meditation or other spiritual or religious practice could be the reason
those activities guard against depression - particularly in people who
are predisposed to the disease, according to new research. Researchers
studied 130 subjects and found that those who highly valued
spirituality showed thicker portions of brain cortices that may protect
against depression -- especially in those at high risk for the disease.
• Primate
growing up with half the calories: New understanding about human heal...
New research shows that humans and other primates burn 50 percent fewer
calories each day than other mammals. The study suggests that these
remarkably slow metabolisms explain why humans and other primates grow
up so slowly and live such long lives.
NIH
Press
Releases
NIH
research network finds many youth have high levels of HIV
Study succeeds at early diagnosis but suggests high risk of HIV
infection for youth.
Cognitive
training shows staying power
NIH-funded trial shows 10-year benefit in realms of reasoning, speed.
Hypothermia
and older adults
Tips for staying safe in cold weather.
Severe
mental illness tied to higher rates of substance use
New NIH study shows that certain protective factors do not exist in
those with severe mental illness.
Drivers
engaged in other tasks about 10 percent of the time
NIH, Virginia Tech study shows crash risks greatest for teens.
Funding
Announcements
Juvenile
Protective Factors and Their Effects on Aging (R03)
Expiration Date: July 17, 2016
Analysis
of Genome-Wide Gene-Environment (G x E) Interactions (R21)
Funding Opportunity PAR-13-382 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The purpose of this FOA is to provide support for research
projects that involve secondary data analyses of existing genome-wide
data from genome-wide association studies or other large genomic
datasets for the purpose of identifying gene-environment interactions.
The ultimate objective of this funding opportunity is the discovery of
complex interplays of genes and environmental factors in human
populations which may disclose novel genetic susceptibilities to
environmental exposures or a greater understanding of the role of
environmental exposures in the development, progression, and severity
of complex human diseases.
NIH
Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent
R13/U13)
Funding Number: PA-13-347
Expiration Date: September 8, 2016
Academic
Research Enhancement Award (Parent R15)
Funding Number: PA-13-313
Expiration Date: September 8, 2016
Behavioral
and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health
Disparities (R21)
Funding Number: PA-13-288
Expiration Date: September 8, 2016
Mid-life
Reversibility of Early-established Biobehavioral Risk Factors (R01)
Funding Opportunity RFA-AG-14-006 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA)
issued by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) is to solicit two-year
Research Project Grant (R01) applications that propose to explore the
potential for midlife plasticity of biobehavioral or psychological
systems affected by early life disadvantage. In order to speed the
development of novel intervention strategies, applicants are encouraged
either to use existing human cohort data to identify circumstances that
mitigate or exacerbate the effects of early adversity or to use human
and/or animal models to test the feasibility of developing
interventions aimed specifically at increasing malleability in
adulthood of risk persistence mechanisms.
High
Priority Behavioral and Social Research Networks (R24)
Funding Opportunity RFA-AG-14-007 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA)
issued by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), working in part with
funds contributed by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Research (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/index.aspx ), is to provide
infrastructure support for advancing development of specific emerging
and high priority interdisciplinary areas of behavioral and social
research of relevance to aging. The infrastructure support will
facilitate research networks through meetings, conferences, small scale
pilots, training, and dissemination to encourage growth and development
of specified priority areas and of resources for the field at large.
Projects are solicited that will develop, strengthen, and evaluate
transdisciplinary approaches and methods for basic behavioral and/or
social research.
Regional
and
International Differences in Health and Longevity at Older Ages
(R01)
PA-13-125
Expiration Date September 8, 2016
Obesity
Policy
Evaluation Research (R01) PA-13-110
Expiration Date: May 8, 2016
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R01),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-078
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Events:
Conferences:
2014
Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America
Marriott Copley Place, Boston, MA, May 1-3, 2014
Abstract deadline was September 27, 2013
2014
Annual
Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society
(AGS), May 15 - 17,
2014
Orlando, Florida
Abstract deadline: December 2, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST
The
26th REVES
meeting on health expectancy
Edinburgh, UK, May 28-30,
2014
Abstract submission deadline: February 1, 2014
The
67th Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America,
November 5-9, 2014
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC
Abstract
submission deadline: March 5, 2014
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This
Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
If you would like to unsubscribe please notify us at ngavrilova@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu
