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CCBAR Newsletter – September-October, 2007

Editors:  Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau

CCBAR News

The 5th Annual Interdisciplinary Biomeasures Workshop held in Chicago in June 2007 was a success.  Workshop proceedings are in the state of preparation and will be issued in the nearest future.  Jessica Schwartz joined CCBAR in August as the Project Coordinator.  Please contact Jessica if you have questions regarding CCBAR activities (email jschwartz@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu or call 773-834-4832).  For more information on the Workshop please visit CCBAR website at: http://biomarkers.uchicago.edu/ChicagoBiomarkerWorkshop2007.html.

The American Federation of Aging Research (AFAR) meeting, Seeking Biomarkers of Aging and Diseases of Aging, was held in New York on October 2nd 2007.
Here is the report by Dima Qato, PharmD (CCBAR):
The focus of the conference was on biomarkers as indicators of biological aging (vs. demographic/chronological aging) and as predictors of longevity. In this regard, an emphasis on biomarkers of the aging process, rather than age-related disease, was discussed as integral to the measurement of the global effects of interventions and therapies. Accelerated aging vs. normal aging  were distinguished in order to emphasize the use of biomarkers as tools to understand the complex processes underlying biological aging that are amenable to modification.  In this context, when using biomarkers to predict and understand aging, it is important to take into account the overall effects of genetics (and pharmacogenetics) and the biological environment on the predisposition to decreased survival. Examples illustrating the physiological mechanisms and pathways underlying the relationship between specific intervention (e.g. caloric restriction, drugs) and aging were presented to emphasize the importance of using a panel of biomarkers when understanding aging.  Even though aging is a complex process, as the conference presenters highlighted, the appropriate identification of biomarkers of aging will advance translational research and lead to the development of targeted therapies and interventions that could potentially extend the healthy lifespan.

News From the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ and PNAS

A Study of Sexuality and Health among Older Adults in the United States
by S.T. Lindau and others

[Introduction] Economics of Health and Mortality Special Feature: The economi...
by Costa, D. L.

[Economic_Sciences] Economics of Health and Mortality Special Feature: Race, ...
We document racial trends in chronic conditions among older men between 1910 and 2004. The 1910 black arteriosclerosis rate was...

[Economic_Sciences] Economics of Health and Mortality Special Feature: Nature...
This paper investigates levels in diabetes prevalence patterns across key socioeconomic status indicators and how they changed over time.

[Economic_Sciences] From the Cover: Economics of Health and Mortality Special...
Adult height is determined by genetic potential and by net nutrition, the balance between food intake and the demands on...

[Economic_Sciences] Economics of Health and Mortality Special Feature: The sh...
The rise of 401(k) plans and the decline of defined benefit plans will have an important effect on the wealth...

[Economic_Sciences] Economics of Health and Mortality Special Feature: Eviden...
In recent decades, elderly Americans have enjoyed enormous gains in longevity and reductions in disability. The causes of this progress...

[Economic_Sciences] Economics of Health and Mortality Special Feature: The ec...
This article begins the synthesis of two currently unrelated literatures: the human capital approach to health economics and the economics...

[Medical_Sciences] Analysis of potential transcriptomic biomarkers for Huntin...
Highly quantitative biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease remain an important need in the urgent quest for disease-modifying therapies. For Huntington's disease...

[Medical_Sciences] Human cardiac stem cells The identification of cardiac progenitor cells in mammals raises the possibility that the human heart contains a population of stem...

[Evolution] Different cognitive processes underlie human mate choices and mat...
Based on undergraduates' self-reports of mate preferences for various traits and self-perceptions of their own levels on those traits, Buston...

[Medical_Sciences] Oxidative stress causes bone loss in estrogen-deficient mi...
Increased production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the bone marrow (BM) in response to both oxidative stress and...

[Medical_Sciences] Critique of early models of the demographic impact of HIV/...
Early mathematical models varied in their predictions of the impact of HIV/AIDS on population growth from minimal impact to reductions...

[Anthropology-BS] Heritability of ultimatum game responder behavior
Experimental evidence suggests that many people are willing to deviate from materially maximizing strategies to punish unfair behavior. Even though...



Biomarkers and Aging in the News Media

Even a little exercise has health benefits: study
A new study shows that even low levels of weekly exercise - below currently recommended levels -- has major health benefits. In the study, 30 minutes of brisk walking three days per week was enough to drive down blood pressure and improve overall fitness in a group of healthy sedentary adults.
Survey: Seniors Maintain Active Sex Lives
Many people maintain rich, active sex lives well into their 80s, according to the first detailed examination of sexuality among older Americans.

Vital Signs: At Risk: Isolating the Factors Involved in Breast Cancer
Breast density and high levels of circulating sex hormones are independent risk factors for breast cancer in postmenopausal women, a new study finds.
Loneliness Can Speed Aging
Loneliness may take its toll on your health as well as your happiness, say University of Chicago researchers.
Antioxidants May Up Skin Cancer Risk
Supplements may increase risk of melanoma and other skin cancers for women.
Getting Enough Vitamin D?
Older Americans may fall short, leading to health problems
Depression more damaging than some chronic illnesses
Depression is more damaging to everyday health than chronic diseases such as angina, arthritis, asthma and diabetes, researchers said on Friday.
Extreme Dieting: Fountain Of Youth?
A small but growing movement called "Calorie Restriction" seeks to lengthen life by eating less -- much less. Adherents believe cutting calories is the key to living longer and feeling younger. Dr. Emily Senay has the skinny on it.
How the Elderly Stay Positive
With age, the brain's response to negative emotions may wane
Bigger Waist, Bigger Colon Cancer Risk
For every 4 inches gained around the waist, the risk of colon cancer goes up 33% in men and 16% in women, Swedish researchers find.
USC Study Find Links Between Cancer, Alcohol
According to a study released by USC, post-menopausal women who drink two or more alcoholic beverages per day double their risk of endometrial cancer.
Vital Signs: Patterns: Ovary Removal May Raise the Risk of Dementia
Women whose ovaries are removed before menopause may be at increased risk for dementia, a new study reports.
Elderly at highest risk for suicide
The elderly are the highest risk population in the USA for suicide. But few suicide-prevention programs target them a result, ...
Older Men, Younger Women = Long Life
Scientists say older men coupling with younger women increased human lifespan.
Omega-3 fatty acids protect against diabetes: study
  A diet rich in fish and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids helped cut the risk that children with a family history of diabetes would develop the disease, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
Why You Can't Overlook A Pretty Face
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but the eye finds it really hard to look away from the physically attractive -- and new research shows why that is.
Biologists Link Huntington's Disease To Health Benefits In Young
A new hypothesis has been proposed to explain prevalence of the disease by suggesting that people with Huntington's disease are healthier in childbearing years and have more children than general population. Huntington's strengthens the immune system during most fertile years allowing them to produce more offspring. Symptoms associated with Huntington's occur later in life, after peak reproductive age. The researchers' hypothesis challenges a long held belief that people with Huntington's had mo...
Older Blacks And Latinos Still Lag Whites In Controlling Diabetes
Despite decades of advances in diabetes care, African-Americans and Latinos are still far less likely than whites to have their blood sugar under control, even with the help of medications, a new national study finds. That puts them at a much higher risk of blindness, heart attack, kidney failure and other long-term diabetes complications. But the study also suggests opportunities to decrease the disparities.
Fats, meat unlikely to impact prostate cancer risk
New data from a large ethnically diverse group of men provides no evidence that eating a lot of fats and meat substantially affects a man's risk of developing prostate cancer.
Goal-driven achievers less prone to Alzheimer's
A surprising study of elderly people suggests that those who see themselves as self-disciplined, organized achievers have a ...


NIH Press Releases

New Initiative to Study the Glycobiology of Cancer Could Aid Understanding of...
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is funding a new $15.5 million, five-year initiative to discover, develop, and clinically validate cancer biomarkers by targeting the carbohydrate (glycan) part of a molecule. Biomarkers are substances sometimes found in the blood, other body fluids, or tissues that measure biological processes, and in addition to genes and proteins, can be complex carbohydrate (sugar) structures that are attached to protein and lipid (fat) molecules.

New Vitamin D Evidence Report Reveals Gaps in Knowledge and serves as Basis f...
A new evidence report on vitamin D and bone health reviews the current scientific evidence and identifies its strengths and weaknesses.

Global Survey Reveals Significant Gap in Meeting World's Ment...
Mental disorders rank among the top ten illnesses causing disability -- more than 37 percent worldwide -- with depression being the leading cause of disability among people ages 15 and older, according to the published in 2006. Yet, the world's mental health care needs are largely going unmet, especially in less developed nations and in high-income countries, according to results from a new survey of 17 countries conducted as part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Mental Health Survey Initiative. The results of the initiative, partially funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), were published in in September 2007.

Study Identifies Genetic Risk Factor for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus - Septem...
A genetic variation has been identified that increases the risk of two chronic, autoimmune inflammatory diseases: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). These research findings result from a long-time collaboration between the Intramural Research Program (IRP) of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and other organizations. NIAMS is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Rates of Bipolar Diagnosis in Youth Rapidly Climbing, Treatme...
The number of visits to a doctor's office that resulted in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents has increased by 40 times over the last decade, reported researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the same time period, the number of visits by adults resulting in a bipolar disorder diagnosis almost doubled. The cause of these increases is unclear. Medication prescription patterns for the two groups were similar. The study was published in the September 2007 issue of the "Archives of General Psychiatry"

Unique Grape Skin Extract Inhibits Prostate Cancer Cell Growth in the Laborat...
Laboratory experiments show that an extract of the skin of muscadine grapes can inhibit growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. Investigators from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and their research partners also show that muscadine grape skin extract (MSKE) does not contain significant amounts of resveratrol, another grape skin component that has been widely studied and shown to be of potential benefit in preventing prostate cancer growth. The results appear in the September 1, 2007, issue of "Cancer Research".

Manic Phase of Bipolar Disorder Benefits from Breast Cancer Medication - Sept...
The medication tamoxifen, best known as a treatment for breast cancer, dramatically reduces symptoms of the manic phase of bipolar disorder more quickly than many standard medications for the mental illness, a new study shows. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) who conducted the study also explained how: Tamoxifen blocks an enzyme called protein kinase C (PKC) that regulates activities in brain cells. The enzyme is thought to be over-active during the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

NIH Announces New BIRCWH Awards to Promote Interdisciplinary ...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women?s Health (ORWH) and other co-sponsors announce the award of more than $7 million to 15 new and continuing Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) programs nationwide. This expands an innovative effort to foster career development in women's health research with an emphasis on innovative interdisciplinary mentoring across a variety of disciplines.

Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research Highlight...
Studying the risks and benefits of dietary supplements has always posed unique challenges to researchers. To potentially support conclusive recommendations, these studies must enroll thousands of people and follow them for years. Additionally, as dietary supplements are regulated as foods, products can be sold without demonstrating efficacy. These factors can result in exaggerated research findings and conflicting health messages to consumers. To help advance the field and better inform the public, the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published the 2006 Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary Supplement Research, highlighting 25 of the most significant dietary supplement research advances of the past year.

NIH Announcements

Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging (K08 & K23)

Notice of a Report from the National Institute on Aging Meetings on New Interventions for Menopausal Symptoms

Basic and Translational Research Opportunities in the Social Neuroscience of Mental Health (R01)

NIA Announcement: Modified Policy for Program Project Application

New Interventions for Menopausal Symptoms (U01)

Health Promotion Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Males (R21): A C...


Harmonization of Longitudinal Cross-National Surveys of Aging (R21)

Advancing Novel Science in Women s Health Research (ANSWHR) [R21]


Events

NIH videocast

Emergency Preparedness and Biodefense
Air date: 10/23/2007 11:00:00 AM Eastern Time

Understanding Cultural and Ethnic Influences on Mental Health: Data from the ...
The NIMH Mental Health Disparities Team (MHDT) is pleased to announce the second presentation in the Mental Health Disparities Speaker Series. Drs. Margarita Alegria, James S. Jackson and David T. Takeuchi will present findings from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Studies (CPES). This collaborative effort, which includes the National Survey of American Lives (NSAL) and the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) as well as the National Comorbidity Survey

Cancer and Inflammation Seminar, October 9-10, 2007. Masur Auditorium, Blg 10, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

The Gerontological Society of America’s 60th Annual Scientific Meeting "The Era of Global Aging: Challenges and Opportunities"
November 16-20, 2007. San Francisco, United States

Living to 100: Survival to Advanced Ages International Seminar,  January 8-9, 2008.  Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Association for Gerontology in Higher Education Annual Meeting,  February 21-24, 2008. Baltimore, USA
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This Newsletter  is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)