CCBAR
Newsletter – June, 2008
Editors:
Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
CCBAR
News
On May 23, 2008 CCBAR
hosted an Advanced Modeling
Issues in Integrated Biopsychosocial Research Seminar in Chicago
Gleacher Center. The meeting included an update on the
Biodemography Working Group Meeting held 4/08 adjacent to Population
Association of America Annual Meeting in New Orleans and four
research-in-progress presentations that engaged
participants in discussion of advanced modeling issues in integrated
biopsychosocial research. The transcripts from this and April 4,
2008 meetings are forthcoming to CCBAR website. 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
SPECIAL
ARTICLE: Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health in 22 European Countries
In this study of socioeconomic status and health in 22 European
countries, mortality was higher in people with less education and lower
income, and the magnitude of differences in mortality related to
education and income varied among countries. Treatable diseases and
diseases caused by smoking or alcohol use accounted for some of the
differences in mortality, suggesting that health-related behavior and
access to health care contribute to higher mortality in groups of lower
socioeconomic status.
EDITORIAL:
Stranded in the Periphery -- The Increasing Marginalization of Smo...
One of the greatest health advances in the past three decades has
been the continuing decline in the prevalence of smoking, which
recently hit a modern age-adjusted low of 19% ...
Out of sequence: how
consumer genomics could displace clinical genetics
The era of personalized medicine has arrived, but not in the way that
many predicted. Rather than emerging as clinical tools derived from
years of biomedical research that characterized the accuracy and
clinical usefulness of genetic markers of increased disease risk, the
first publicly
EDITORIAL:
Bona Fide Genetic Associations with Bone Mineral Density
Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder characterized by
compromised bone strength and increased bone fragility, affecting up to
40% of postmenopausal women and 15% of men.1 Its clinical significance
lies ...
[Genetics]
Variation in MAPT is associated with cerebrospinal fluid tau level...
There is substantial evidence that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels
of both Aβ42 and tau/ptau are promising biomarkers for Alzheimer's
disease...
[Evolution]
The evolution of courtship behaviors through the origination of a...
New genes can originate by the combination of sequences from
unrelated genes or their duplicates to form a chimeric structure....
[Evolution]
Modularity of stress response evolution
Responses to extracellular stress directly confer survival fitness
by means of complex regulatory networks. Despite their complexity, the
networks must...
Genetics]
Social interaction-mediated lifespan extension of Drosophila Cu/Zn...
Beneficial effects of social interaction on aging have been studied in
humans and other species. We found that short-lived Drosophila...
Biomarkers
and Aging in the News Media
• Lifespan
cheer for breast cancer
Women whose
breast cancer is diagnosed and treated an early stage can look forward
to a normal life expectancy.
• Cholesterol
indicates if HRT would be heart-safe
NEW YORK
(Reuters Health) - For women going through menopause and
considering hormone replacement therapy (HRT), their cholesterol levels
can indicate the likely risk to their heart health, researchers report.
• Rising
health costs pose economic risk: Bernanke
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned on
Monday that rising U.S. government spending on health care risks
triggering runaway budget deficits that could put economic stability in
danger.
• Ranks
of Underinsured Are Rising, Study Finds
A study found
that the coverage of approximately one of every five
adults younger than age 65 with health insurance was inadequate in case
of serious health problems.
• Risk-of-death
assessments show smokers should beware
If you smoke,
start thinking of yourself as a decade older than you really are.
• Infant
Weight Gain May Predict Obesity
There is growing
evidence that babies who gain weight rapidly during
the first few months or years of life may be at increased risk for
obesity as they get older.
• Autism
Linked to Low Birth Weight
Low birth weight
and preterm birth increase the risk of autism in
infants by about twofold, but more so for girls than for boys,
according to a new study.
• No
Dodging Prostate Cancer With Vitamin D
A new study
shows that higher levels of vitamin D in the blood are not associated
with a decreased risk of prostate cancer.
• Does
Gum Disease Cause Cancer?
It took a lot of
lectures from my dentist, but I long ago became a
dedicated flosser. Now a new study is making me glad I did. And it's
not just because flossing my teeth daily may help me avoid dentures.
The new research indicates that people who have gum disease may be at
increased risk for...
• Bright
Light Improves Dementia Symptoms
Turning up the
lights during the daytime may boost mood and improve
behavior in elderly adults with dementia, according to a new study.
• Exercise
May Cut Risk of Dementia
Exercising in
middle age may help ward off dementia and Alzheimer's disease decades
later.
• Eating
Fatty Fish Can Help Aging Eyes
A review of
studies shows that eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps ward
off macular degeneration.
• Low
Vitamin D Ups Heart Risk in Men
A study links
low levels of vitamin D with a higher risk of heart attack in men.
• Vitamin
D May Cut Risk of Type 1 Diabetes
A newly
published study and a research analysis both suggest a link
between high vitamin D levels and a lower risk for type 1 diabetes.
• Reverse
Engineering The Brain To Model Mind-body Interactions
When you grab a
cold beverage out of the cooler this summer, what is
really going on between your brain, your eyes and your hands? Using
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists are cataloging body parts
and functions and tracing their interactions with the brain. This
information is being used to create a working three-dimensional
computer model of all these functions.
• Smoking
And Body Mass Index Linked To Hearing Loss, But Alcohol Has Protectiv...
Smoking and body
mass index are risk factors in the development of
age-related hearing loss, says one of the largest-ever studies into
risk factors for hearing loss -- but alcohol has a protective effect.
• Belly
Fat May Affect Liver Function
A new stud
suggests the release of lipids from abdominal fat, which
drains directly to the liver, increases overnight, providing additional
insight as to how abdominal fat is associated with type 2 diabetes
risk. The findings suggest that the increase of lipids released
overnight from abdominal fat may cause insulin resistance.
• Biomarkers
Of Early-stage Pancreatic Cancer In Mice And Man Identified
Researchers have
identified a panel of proteins linked to early
development of pancreatic cancer in mice that applies also to early
stages of the disease in humans -- a breakthrough that brings
scientists a significant step closer to developing a blood test to
detect the disease early, when cure rates are highest.
NIH
Press Releases
Three
Sequencing Companies Join 1000 Genomes Project
The 1000 Genomes
Project, which was announced in January 2008, is an
international research consortium that is creating a new map of the
human genome that will provide a view of biomedically relevant DNA
variations at a resolution unmatched by current resources.
Organizations that have already committed major support to the project
are: the Beijing Genomics Institute, Shenzhen, China; the Wellcome
Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, U.K.; and the National
Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National
Institutes of Health.
ACCORD
Clinical Trial Publishes Results
Intensively
targeting blood sugar to near-normal levels in adults with
type 2 diabetes at especially high risk for heart attack and stroke
does not significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events,
such as fatal or nonfatal heart attacks or stroke, but increases risk
of death, compared to standard treatment. Researchers from the ACCORD
(Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) clinical trial
compared a medical strategy aimed at near-normal blood sugar levels --
below current recommendations -- to a strategy to reach more standard
blood sugar levels. Supported by the National Institutes of Health, the
study evaluated the effects of intensively targeting blood sugar
control among adults with established diabetes, high blood sugar
levels, and pre-existing heart disease or at least two cardiovascular
disease risk factors in addition to diabetes.
Long-term
Pesticide Exposure May Increase Risk of Diabetes
Licensed
pesticide applicators who used chlorinated pesticides on more
than 100 days in their lifetime were at greater risk of diabetes,
according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The associations between specific pesticides and incident diabetes
ranged from a 20 percent to a 200 percent increase in risk, said the
scientists with the NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Clusters
of Genetic Variants Linked to Distinct Treatment Responses for Smoki...
Scientists have
identified distinct clusters of genetic markers
associated with the likelihood of success or failure of two smoking
cessation treatments, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and the
medication bupropion (Zyban). This study, supported by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI),
part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was published in the
June issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.
NIH
Expands National Consortium Dedicated to Transforming Clinical and
Transl...
Fourteen
academic health centers in 11 states are the latest members of
the National Institutes of Health's Clinical and Translational Science
Award (CTSA) consortium. Creating a unique network of medical research
institutions across the nation, the consortium is working to reduce the
time it takes for laboratory discoveries to become treatments for
patients and to engage communities in clinical research efforts. It
also is fulfilling the critical need to train the next generation of
clinical and translational researchers. The consortium is led by the
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a part of the NIH.
NIH Announcements
Centers
on the Demography and Economics of Aging (P30)
Request
for Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Roybal
Centers for Translational Research on Aging (P30)
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Millennium
Promise Awards: Non-communicable Chronic Diseases Research Trainin...
Program
Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Development
of Models to Forecast Medicare Expenditures (R01)
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
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
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)
