Editors: Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
CCBAR News:
CCBAR Director, Stacy Lindau, took part in the meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board for the HRS-harmonized population-based study TILDA in Dublin, Ireland. TILDA Wave I data are available for request via the Irish Social Sciences Data Archive (ISSDA) http://www.tcd.ie/tilda/researchers/access/. More information about TILDA data availability can be found on TILDA website. During her visit to Dublin, Dr. Lindau toured the Liberties neighborhood with Irish colleagues and gave a lecture to health researchers and community leaders in the Liberties about MAPSCorps, an asset mapping program that engages youth and older adults from low income communities in gathering community resource data that are used to link people to resources for self-care and disease management.
Natalia Gavrilova participated in the Network on Biological Risk annual meeting held on May 2, 2012 in San Francisco, CA. This meeting was an important event for researchers collecting biomarkers in population-based settings. The first part of the meeting was devoted to various aspects of dried blood spot collection and analysis. Additional talks included Elissa Epel on telomeres and Diane Lauderdale on sleep measurement. The meeting agenda can be found on the Biomarker Network website. Natalia Gavrilova also participated in the 2012 annual meeting of the Population Association of America in San Francisco where she gave a presentation on the link between month of birth and exceptional longevity using the within-family approach. This year's meeting had many interesting presentations on biomeasures in population studies including one by Laura Blue from Princeton University on body weight, weight change and mortality risk. She estimated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality among adults aged 50-79 using data from five longitudinal surveys in a different high- or middle-income country: Australia, Costa Rica, England, Taiwan, and the USA. In all five surveys, the lowest risk of mortality was observed for "overweight" levels of BMI (25-30 mg/m2). Moreover, study of weight changes over time showed that weight gain was associated with lower mortality while weight loss was linked to higher mortality. These results raise new questions about healthy weight in aging.
News
from
the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS, Lancet and JAMA
Depression:
Biomarker discovery
The discovery of reliable biomarkers for psychiatric disorders
such as
major depressive disorder (MDD) could help to improve diagnosis and
treatment. The authors used two animal models of depression to identify
26 candidate biomarker transcripts and compared their expression in
human subjects with a...
Insights
into CNS ageing from animal models of senescence
In recent years, novel model systems have made significant
contributions to our understanding of the processes that control the
ageing of whole organisms. However, there are limited data to show that
the mechanisms that gerontologists have identified as having a role in
organismal ageing contribute
Sound
medicine
Everyone from rock stars to nonagenarians experiences hearing
loss, but
no drugs have ever been approved specifically to prevent or treat this
problem. Recently, a handful of drug companies have started to make
some noise, with a number of experimental compounds now in human
trials. Elie Dolgin soun...
Metabolic
surgery for type 2 diabetes
Clinicians note that bariatric operations can dramatically
resolve type
2 diabetes, often before and out of proportion to postoperative weight
loss. Now two randomized controlled trials formally show superior
results from surgical compared with medical diabetes care, including
among only mildly obes...
Topic:
Guts over glory - why diets fail
Losing weight can pose a challenge, but how to avoid putting
those
pounds back on can be a real struggle. A major health problem for obese
people is that diseases linked to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes and
cardiovascular disease, put their lives at risk, even in young
individuals. Although baria...
Prenatal
cortisol and brain development [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Stress-related variation in the intrauterine milieu may impact
brain
development and emergent function, with long-term implications in terms
of susceptibility for affective disorders. Studies in animals suggest
limbic regions in the developing brain are particularly sensitive to
exposure to the stre...
Archaeology
as a social science [Perspectives]
Because of advances in methods and theory, archaeology now
addresses
issues central to debates in the social sciences in a far more
sophisticated manner than ever before. Coupled with methodological
innovations, multiscalar archaeological studies around the world have
produced a wealth of new data t...
Why
the exclusion of older people from clinical research must stop
Exclusion of older people from clinical research, and of
under-recruitment to clinical trials, is widespread.1 This problem has
stark consequences, according to an expert committee of the European...
Natural
insulin sensitizers [Commentary]
The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D), recognized in 2006 as a
global
health priority by the United Nations, is increasing worldwide.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, approximately 190
million people are affected by T2D worldwide, a number expected to
nearly double in the coming ...
Pay-what-you-want,
identity, and self-signaling [Economic Sciences]
We investigate the role of identity and self-image consideration
under
'pay-what-you-want' pricing. Results from three field experiments show
that often, when granted the opportunity to name the price of a
product, fewer consumers choose to buy it than when the price is fixed
and low. We show that t...
Facial
expressions are not universal [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Since Darwin's seminal works, the universality of facial
expressions of
emotion has remained one of the longest standing debates in the
biological and social sciences. Briefly stated, the universality
hypothesis claims that all humans communicate six basic internal
emotional states (happy, surprise,...
[Report]
Recent Explosive Human Population Growth Has Resulted in an Excess o...
Genetic models that incorporate recent human population growth can
better identify mutations in large samples.
Pre-term
births on the rise
But simple measures could cut the mortality rate of premature
babies in poorer countries.
Positive
feelings and mortality risk [Letters (Online Only)]
Steptoe and Wardle (1) provided potentially the most compelling
evidence to date relating positive feelings to longevity. They extended
prior research investigating the well-being?mortality link (2)
principally by measuring positive affect in real-time, thus avoiding
recall biases that may have conf...
Recalled
vs. experienced affect and mortality [Letters (Online Only)]
Michael Daly (1) raises two important issues in his response to
our
paper (2). The first concerns assessing positive affect by momentary
measures rather than retrospective questionnaires. The second concerns
confounding of measures of affect by health status.Momentary measures
of affect are thought ...
[News
Focus] American Association of Physical Anthropologists: Older Dads
Hav...
New data presented at the meeting suggest that children of older
fathers and grandfathers may inherit longer telomeres, structures at
the tips of chromosomes that may protect against aging and disease.
Biomarkers and Aging in the News Media
• First
gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse
lifespa...
A new study consisting of inducing cells to express telomerase, the
enzyme which -- metaphorically -- slows down the biological clock --
was successful. The research provides a "proof-of-principle" that this
"feasible and safe" approach can effectively "improve health span."
• Opinion:
Prostate cancer screening's false promise
Otis Brawley says a new report shows that years of routine, mass
prostate cancer screening has brought more risk than benefit--but not
for the medical industry that has grown up around it
• Well:
Sleep Apnea Tied to Increased Cancer Risk
Two new studies associate a common disorder of sleep that causes pauses
in breathing with a higher risk of cancer.
• HDL
'Good Cholesterol' Found Not to Cut Heart Risk
People genetically prone to higher levels of HDL, often called 'good
cholesterol,' showed that they did not have any significant decrease in
risk of cardiovascular disease.
• People
with severe sleep apnea five times more likely to die from cancer,
stu...
Association with cancer death risk higher in non-obese study subjects
• American
men closing the longevity gender gap
Here's a fist bump, boys - or, if you prefer, a bro hug - for some
hard-earned progress. In the ultimate competition, the race to stay
alive, you're gaining furiously on the fairer sex.
• Overweight,
Obese Teens Show Early Heart Risks
Two new studies show the early health risks the ever-enlarging number
of obese U.S. teens face, from diabetes to heart damage.
• A
Better Way to Assess Body Fat and Health Risk?
BMI's days as a top way to measure body fat and associated health risks
may be numbered. New research suggests that the better way to know
where you stand concerning health risks related to your amount of body
fat is your waist-to-height ratio.
• Hunter-gatherers
and horticulturalist lifestyle linked to lower blood pressur...
Traditional "hunter-gatherer" and "horticulturalist" populations have
significantly lower age-related increases in blood pressure and less
risks of atherosclerosis than "modernized" populations. Lifestyle
factors of these traditional populations -- high physical activity and
high fruit and vegetable diets -- may protect against normal aging
phenomena, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.
Hunter-gatherers and forager-horticulturalists who live off the land
and grow what they need to...
• Stressed
men are more social
Researchers have refuted the common belief that stress always causes
aggressive behavior.
• How
Losing Weight Could Lower Breast Cancer Risk
Could moderate weight loss lower your chance of developing breast
cancer? Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
think it's possible.
• Well:
Nutrition: More Omega-3, Less of a Suspect Protein
A study shows consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with
lower blood levels of beta-amyloid protein, a possible indication of
increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.
• Mid-life
depression linked to dementia
People who have symptoms of depression in middle age may be at
increased risk of dementia decades later, a new study suggests.
• Eating
for Longevity
What makes some people live longer than others? Studies suggest that
diet is one of the important contributors to longevity and a healthy
life.
• Delayed
female sexual maturity linked to longer lifespan in mice
Female mice from strains with lower IGF1 levels reach sexual maturity
at a significantly later age. Combined with previous research showing
that mouse strains with lower circulating levels of IGF1 live longer,
the findings suggest a genetically regulated tradeoff: delayed
reproduction but longer life.
• Biomarkers
can reveal irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is hard to diagnose as well as treat,
but researchers have now discovered a way of confirming the disorder
using stool samples.
• Diabetes
shrinks elderly brain
Elderly people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes suffer from an
accelerated decline in brain size and mental capacity in as little as
two years according to new research.
• Birth-Defect
Risk Higher With Fertility Treatments, Study Shows
An Australian survey of about 300,000 pregnancies, with more than 6,000
resulting from fertility treatments, found that treatment was
associated with a 28 percent greater risk for birth defects.
• Pregnancy
After 40: Healthy Weight Improves Risk
Pregnancy after 40 does carry more risks, but being at a healthy weight
before getting pregnant seems to modify those risks, new research
suggests.
• Testosterone
Linked to Weight Loss in Obese Men
Testosterone replacement may promote weight loss in obese older men who
have low levels of the male sex hormone, a new study shows.
• Eye
Color Linked to Skin Diseases
They say "the eyes are the window to the soul." But a new study
suggests the eyes may also offer a sneak peek at the risk of serious
skin problems down the road.
• Early
Biomarker for Pancreatic Cancer Identified
Researchers have identified a new biomarker and therapeutic target for
pancreatic cancer, an often-fatal disease for which there is currently
no reliable method for early detection or therapeutic intervention.
• First
gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse
lifespa...
A new study consisting of inducing cells to express telomerase, the
enzyme which -- metaphorically -- slows down the biological clock --
was successful. The research provides a "proof-of-principle" that this
"feasible and safe" approach can effectively "improve health span."
NIH Press Releases
NHGRI
collaborates with Smithsonian to produce new genome exhibit
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the completion of the first
complete human genome sequence -- the genetic blueprint of the human
body -- the Smithsonian Institution will open a high-tech,
high-intensity exhibit in 2013. The exhibit is a collaboration of the
Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National
Institutes of Health.
NIH study
finds sigmoidoscopy reduces colorectal cancer rates
Flexible sigmoidoscopy, a screening test for colorectal cancer that is
less invasive and has fewer side effects than colonoscopy, is effective
in reducing the rates of new cases and deaths due to colorectal cancer,
according to research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, part
of the National Institutes of Health. In a study that spanned almost 20
years, researchers found that overall colorectal cancer mortality
(deaths) was reduced by 26 percent and incidence (new cases) was
reduced by 21 percent as a result of screening with sigmoidoscopy.
These results appeared online, ahead of print, on May 21, 2012, in the
New England Journal of Medicine, and were presented at Digestive
Disease Week, a scientific conference.
NIH-led
study finds genetic test results do not trigger increased use of heal...
People have increasing opportunities to participate in genetic testing
that can indicate their range of risk for developing a disease.
Receiving these results does not appreciably drive up or diminish test
recipients' demand for potentially costly follow-up health services,
according to a study performed by researchers at the National
Institutes of Health and colleagues at other institutions.
NIH study
finds that coffee drinkers have lower risk of death
Older adults who drank coffee -- caffeinated or decaffeinated -- had a
lower risk of death overall than others who did not drink coffee,
according a study by researchers from the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and AARP.
NIH-funded
research provides new clues on how ApoE4 affects Alzheimer's risk
Common variants of the ApoE gene are strongly associated with the risk
of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease, but the gene's role in
the disease has been unclear. Now, researchers funded by the National
Institutes of Health have found that in mice, having the most risky
variant of ApoE damages the blood vessels that feed the brain.
Awake
mental replay of past experiences critical for learning
Awake mental replay of past experiences is essential for making
informed choices, suggests a study in rats. Without it, the animals'
memory-based decision-making faltered, say scientists funded by the
National Institutes of Health. The researchers blocked learning from,
and acting on, past experience by selectively suppressing replay --
encoded as split-second bursts of neuronal activity in the memory hubs
of rats performing a maze task.
NIH
scientists find that chromosomal abnormalities are associated with
aging ...
Two new studies have found that large structural abnormalities in
chromosomes, some of which have been associated with increased risk of
cancer, can be detected in a small fraction of people without a prior
history of cancer. The studies found that these alterations in
chromosomes appear to increase with age, particularly after the age of
50, and may be associated with an increased risk for cancer. These
studies were conducted by two consortia, one led by scientists at the
National Cancer Institute (NCI), and one by Gene Environment
Association Studies (GENEVA) which is sponsored by the National Human
Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). NCI and NHGRI are both parts of the
National Institutes of Health.
NIH
research featured in HBO documentary series on obesity
The Weight of the Nation documentary series and public awareness
campaign by the cable network HBO, launching this week, features
National Institutes of Health research showing how obesity affects the
country's health and how interventions can turn the tide against
obesity and its complications.
NIH
encourages Americans to make healthy vision last a lifetime
Vision changes as people get older, but vision loss is not a normal
part of aging.
NIH Announcements
NIMHD
Community-Based
Participatory
Research (CBPR) Initiative in Reducing
an...
Events: Announcements:
2012
WLS
Pilot
Grant Program Conferences: Conference "Biospecimens and Biorepositories"
- Jun 07-08, 2012 - San Diego, CA, USA RAND
Summer
Institute,
July
9-10,
Santa
Monica,
California. 2012
Annual
Meeting
of
the
American Sociological Association, August 17-20, Denver,
CO This
Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
Funding Opportunity RFA-MD-12-006 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NIMHD) invites applications for this Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA) to plan the development of effective interventions
using community based participatory research (CBPR) approaches. Support
will be provided to develop and strengthen partnerships between
researchers and health disparity communities to plan and pilot
interventions for a disease or condition to reduce health disparities.
National
Institute on Aging Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease Genome Sequencing...
14 May 2012 at 1:00pm
Funding Opportunity PAR-12-183 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. The National Institute on Aging invites applications
specific to the analysis of whole exome and genome sequencing data
provided by the National Human Genome Research Institute Large-Scale
Sequencing Program for the Alzheimer's disease research community..
Multidisciplinary
Studies
of
HIV/AIDS and Aging (R01)
Funding Opportunity PAR-12-175 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. This FOA invites applications proposing to study HIV
infection, HIV-associated conditions, HIV treatment, and/or
biobehavioral or social factors associated with HIV/AIDS in the context
of aging and/or in older adults. Research approaches of interest
include clinical translational, observational, and intervention studies
in domestic and international settings.
Multidisciplinary
Studies
of
HIV/AIDS and Aging (R03)
Funding Opportunity PAR-12-176 from the NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts. This FOA invites applications proposing to study HIV
infection, HIV-associated conditions, HIV treatment, and/or
biobehavioral or social factors associated with HIV/AIDS in the context
of aging and/or in older adults. Research approaches of interest
include clinical translational, observational, and intervention studies
in domestic and international settings.
Secondary
Analyses
in
Obesity, Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R21)
Funding Number: PA-12-125
Expiration Date: May 8, 2015
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R21),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-079
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R03),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-080
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R01),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-078
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
The Center for Demography of Health and Aging (CDHA) at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison will award two to three pilot grants to
investigators using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) data for
scholarly research. Grant application must be received by May
25,
2012. Please contact Carol Roan by e-mail roan@ssc.wisc.edu or by
telephone (608) 265-6196 for more information.
2012 NIH Summer Institute on Social and
Behavioral Intervention Research, July 9-13, 2012
Columbia University, School of Social Work, New York
Application Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern, Friday, April 27, 2012
Helen Moore, Ph.D., Administrative Director at the Office of
Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research, NCI, NIH, to give a Keynote
talk.
Deadline for 10% discount ends on May 7th
Summer
Research
Institute
on
Behavioral
Intervention, June 14-16, 2012
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
RAND is pleased to announce the 19th annual RAND Summer Institute
(RSI). RSI consists of two annual conferences that address critical
issues facing our aging population. The Mini-Medical School for Social
Scientists will be held on July 9–10, and the Demography, Economics,
Psychology, and Epidemiology of Aging conference on July 11–12, 2012.
Both conferences will convene at the RAND Corporation headquarters in
Santa Monica, California.
The application
deadline is March
9, 2012
Abstracts
Deadline:
January
11,
2012
Gerontological
Society
of
America's
65th
Annual
Scientific
Meeting, November 14-18, 2012, San Diego, CA.
Abstracts
Deadline:
March
15,
2012
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