Editors:
Natalia Gavrilova and Stacy Tessler Lindau
In February,
CCBAR provided training for dried blood spot collection for an
NIH-funded, population-based study seeking to validate dried blood spot
measures against venipuncture values. For the first time, this training
session was opened to community members affiliated with the South Side
Chicago Health and Vitality Studies. One community member, a
youth sports coach interested in how health research can benefit the
community, joined the session and learned the principles and techniques
of dried blood spot collection. He did not have medical training
but was able to participate in both blood collection and “donation”
during the training. He reported after the training: “The Blood
Spot Training was important information to know. Learning about the
proper techniques of drawing good blood samples and communicating with
patients to make the process easier was beneficial. I know how the
process should be administered now. This experience provided valuable
insight for my future reference. Thank you for the opportunity to
participate" - Albert "Coach" Williams.
CCBAR is
actively seeking opportunities to incorporate community members into
its training, research and networking opportunities. We would
also like to learn about other studies or centers taking a similar
approach. Please write to the CCBAR editors with your comments: ngavrilova@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu
or slindau@uchicago.edu.
CCBAR is also
seeking to identify population-based biosocial studies with
experimental or quasi-experimental design. Please contact us if
your work qualifies.
For more
information about the Chicago Core on Biomeasures in Population-Based
Aging and Health Research: http://biomarkers.uchicago.edu
For more information about the South Side Health and Vitality Studies: http://www.sshvs.org
In March 2010
British Medical Journal
has published an article "Sex, health, and years of sexually active
life gained due to good health: Evidence from two
News
from the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS and JAMA
Systemic
signals regulate ageing and rejuvenation of blood stem cell niches
Coronary
artery disease: Niacin combined with statin treatment reduces caroti...
According to recent evidence from the ARBITER 6-HALTS trial, treatment
with extended-release niacin, in combination with statin therapy,
significantly increases HDL-cholesterol levels and causes a small, but
significant, reduction in carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in
comparison with treatment...
Vascular
disease: Benefits of raising HDL-cholesterol levels
Several population studies have demonstrated that increased
HDL-cholesterol (C) levels are associated with reduced risk of
cardiovascular (CV) events. However, trial data on the value of
increasing HDL-C levels to reduce CV events have provided conflicting
results. Steven Grover and colleagues thus ...
Bone:
Hip fracture risk and cardiovascular disease
A diagnosis of cardiovascular disease is strongly associated with an
increased risk of hip fracture, and this association seems to be
mediated by genetic factors, say researchers from Sweden.A cohort of
15,968 Swedish twin pairs born between 1914 and 1944 and alive in 1972
Evolution
in Health and Medicine Sackler Colloquium: Genetic variation in hum...
Telomere length in humans is emerging as a biomarker of aging
because its shortening is associated with aging-related diseases and...
Evolution
in Health and Medicine Sackler Colloquium: Evolution of the human l...
Humans have evolved much longer lifespans than the great apes,
which
rarely exceed 50 years. Since 1800, lifespans have doubled...
Colloquium
Papers: Transfers and transitions: Parent-offspring conflict, geno...
Human offspring are weaned earlier than the offspring of other
great
apes but take longer to reach nutritional independence. An...
Colloquium
Papers: Heritability of reproductive fitness traits in a human pop...
The genetic basis of fitness traits has been studied widely in
animals, yet the contribution of genetic variation to these...
Colloquium
Papers: Natural selection in a contemporary human population [Coll...
Our aims were to demonstrate that natural selection is operating
on
contemporary humans, predict future evolutionary change for specific
traits...
Dementia:
Biomarker profiles in HIV-associated cognitive disorders and Alzhei...
The pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with HIV,
although seemingly exacerbated by age, is poorly understood. Limited
evidence suggests that the mechanisms that underlie HIV-associated
cognitive disorders resemble aspects of the molecular pathology of
Alzheimer disease (AD). A n...
The
risk of a wrong conclusion: On testosterone and gender differences in
ris...
Reply
to Joel and Tarrasch: On the relationship between testosterone, gender,.
Conclusion
by exclusion
Systems models and biomarker studies both pose the problem of wrangling
high information content. Such publications can be made easier to
review and to use if they propose explicit alternative hypotheses and
show experimental exclusion of each competing explanation. In practice,
we will need to be a...
Label-free
biomarker detection from whole blood
A biosensor containing a microfluidic purification chip that
supplies a
downstream nanoribbon-detector can detect disease biomarkers in samples
of whole blood.
Coronary
artery disease: Cardiovascular risk is increasing among middle-aged ...
Since the late 1980s, the prevalence of coronary artery disease and
myocardial infarction (MI) has declined in middle-aged men, but
increased among middle-aged women. These worrisome findings have been
reported by Amytis Towfighi and colleagues from California,
USA.Historically, premenopausal women ...
Childhood
Obesity, Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Premature Death
This study
examined
body-mass index, glucose tolerance, blood pressure,
and cholesterol levels in American Indian children without diabetes who
were then followed to adulthood. Obesity, glucose intolerance, and
hypertension in childhood were strongly associated with premature death
from endogenous c...
TSH
levels affect mobility in old age
Mild subclinical hypothyroidism may delay decline in functional
mobility in elderly individuals, according to findings from Eleanor
Simonsick and colleagues as part of the Health, Ageing and Body
Composition study. "Our findings, taken together with other work
conducted exclusively on older adults, ...
Alzheimer
disease: Cancer link to Alzheimer disease, but not vascular dementia
A team led by Cathy Roe at Washington University School of Medicine has
found an association between Alzheimer disease (AD) and cancer risk,
with the presence of one condition reducing the chances of subsequent
diagnosis of the other. Common neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying
cancer and AD
Cerebrospinal
fluid and plasma biomarkers in Alzheimer disease
Intense multidisciplinary research has provided detailed
knowledge of
the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). This knowledge
has been translated into new therapeutic strategies with putative
disease-modifying effects. Several of the most promising approaches,
such as amyloid-? immunoth...
Stroke:
Common pathogens increase stroke risk
Results from the Northern Manhattan Study show that infectious disease
burden is significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke.
?There is evidence that chronic infections may be a contributing risk
factor to vascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, and we
had a
Promoting
social behavior with oxytocin in high-functioning autism spectrum d...
Social adaptation requires specific cognitive and emotional
competences. Individuals with high-functioning autism or with Asperger
syndrome cannot understand or engage...
Glycated
Hemoglobin, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Risk in Nondiabetic Adults
This community-based study of nondiabetic adults compared the
prognostic value of glycated hemoglobin and fasting glucose for
identifying persons at risk for clinical outcomes such as diabetes. As
compared with fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin was similarly
associated with the risk of diabetes a...
Effects
of Obesity and Smoking on U.S. Life Expectancy
To the Editor: Mortality from adult obesity and from persistent
smoking have already been reliably assessed in studies of tens ...
Projected
Effect of Dietary Salt Reductions on Future Cardiovascular Disease
The salt intake of
the U.S. population is rising. Using the Coronary
Heart Disease Policy Model, these investigators found that a reduction
in salt intake of 3 g per day would result in substantial reductions in
the incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, and death. A more
modest reduction of 1...
Biomarkers
and Aging in the News Media
• Early
exposure to germs may lower heart attack risk
•
Genes
reveal 'biological ageing'
Scientists say
they have pinpointed gene variants that might show how
fast people's bodies are ageing.
• Fish
oils 'beat mental illness'
Taking a daily
fish oil capsule can stave off mental illness in those
at highest risk, trial findings suggest.
• Longer
life 'lived in bad health'
Attempts to
encourage healthier lifestyles risk just adding extra years
of poor health to life, experts say.
• Grandparents
'boost obesity risk'
Young children
regularly looked after by their grandparents have an increased risk of
being overweight, a UK study suggests.
• Child
Obesity Risks Death at Early Age, Study Finds
A study found an
increased risk of early death among youngsters with
pre-diabetes and high blood pressure, but obesity was the factor most
associated with death before 55.
• Neighborhood
socioeconomic status and diabetes
Researchers have
found a direct link between neighborhood socioeconomic
status and risk for type 2 diabetes in African American women. The
study is the first prospective study to examine the relationship
between neighborhood socioeconomic status and incidence of type 2
diabetes in a large, geographically diverse cohort of African-American
women.
• Gout
Raises Women's Heart Attack Risk
Women with gout
may face an even greater risk of heart attack as a result of their
condition than men.
• Study:
Older moms' kids have higher autism risk
A 10-year study
examining 4.9 million births in the 1990s has found
more evidence that there's a link between autism and the mother's age
at conception.
• Oxytocin
Hormone May Treat Autism
Oxytocin -- the
so-called hormone of love -- may help promote social
skills and social behavior in people with high-functioning autism, a
study shows.
• Autism's
earliest symptoms not evident in children under 6 months
A study of the
development of autism in infants, comparing the behavior
of the siblings of children diagnosed with autism to that of babies
developing normally, has found that the nascent symptoms of the
condition.
• Stress
hormone may be key to alcoholism
Researchers are
linking a stress hormone to alcoholism in animals, and
they report that blocking it could become a strategy to ...
• Adults
may need less sleep as they age
How much sleep
we need is largely a mystery, and sleep seems tougher to
come by as we age. Many studies ? often funded by the pharmaceutical
industry ? have suggested that we're all sleep-deprived zombies,
risking our health for lack of shut-eye.
• Study:
Soda Linked to Pancreatic Cancer
People Who Drink
as Few as Two Soft Drinks a Week Face Nearly Twice the
Risk of Developing Deadly Cancer, Study Finds
• Heart
Risk From Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy
Androgen-blocking
hormone therapy for prostate cancer may raise the
risk of heart disease, warns an expert panel representing heart,
cancer, and urology organizations.
• Overweight
Older People Live Longer
People who carry
a few extra pounds after age 70 tend to live longer
than people who don?t, new research finds.
• Magnesium
May Improve Memory
A new study
suggests that increasing your consumption of magnesium, an
essential mineral found in dark leafy vegetables and certain fruits,
beans, and nuts, may help combat memory lapses associated with aging.
• Brain
arousal heightens sexual activity in male mice
The most
powerful sexual organ, it's said, is the brain. Now here's the
evidence. New research shows that an overly excitable brain hastens
sexual activity in male mice and increases their nervous energy, a
finding that not only points to the existence of a central brain
mechanism that gives rise to all behaviors but also begins to untangle
the driving force behind all motivational and emotional states.
• Dogs
may provide an excellent model for understanding human complex diseases
Researchers in
Sweden and Finland have found several genes that lead to
increased risk for a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like autoimmune
disorder in dogs. This is the first time scientists have found genes
behind such a complex disease. The study indicates that the homogeneity
of strong genetic risk factors within dog breeds make dogs an excellent
model in which to identify pathways involved in human complex diseases.
The results of the study also open the door for further studies of
spec...
• Overweight
in 20s Could Lead to Serious Problems in 40s
People who are
obese and have type 2 diabetes in their 20s will be at
higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke in their 40s if they do
not change their lifestyle.
• Different
colors describe happiness, depression
Are you in a
gray mood today? How about a blue funk? Maybe you're
seeing red, because you're green with jealousy. The colors we use to
describe emotions may be more useful than you think, according to new
research.
• Poor
hand-grip strength associated with poor survival
Poor or
declining hand-grip strength in the oldest old is associated
with poor survival and may be used as a tool to assess mortality, found
a new article. The fastest growing segment of the elderly population is
the group older than 85 years, classified as the oldest old.
• Mediterranean
diet may lower risk of brain damage that causes thinking problems
A Mediterranean
diet may help people avoid the small areas of brain
damage that can lead to problems with thinking and memory, according to
a new study.
• Men
'need better-fitting condoms'
Badly fitted condoms don't just reduce the pleasure of sex - they
increase the risks of infection and pregnancy, researchers say.
• Early
balding 'cuts cancer risk'
Men who start
going bald at a young age are up to 45% less likely to get prostate
cancer in later life, a study has found.
• No quick
fix for diabetes risk
Exercise and
diet are key to prevent diabetes in high-risk people, say experts who
found two medicines offer no benefit.
• Study:
60% of U.S. Adults are Drinkers
Health Behavior
Survey Also Finds 6 in 10 Are Overweight or Obese, 20 Percent are
Smokers
• Stressed
Men Fancy Someone Different
Men under stress
are more attracted to females who don't look like them
• Vitamin
D Supplements Lower Heart Disease Risk
Extra sunshine
and vitamin D supplements may help ward off heart disease in people
with low vitamin D levels.
• New
Genetic Autism Test Beats Older Tests
A new genetic
test for autism, known as chromosomal microarray analysis
(CMA), finds more genetic abnormalities than two older tests, a study
shows.
• Occasional
High Blood Pressure Risky, Too?
Occasional high
blood pressure readings are often ignored as nothing to
worry about, but a new study suggests this episodic high blood pressure
is a strong predictor of strokes.
• Parents'
Strokes Raise Risks for Offspring
Odds of having a
stroke are higher for people whose fathers or mothers suffered one by
the age of 65, a new study suggests.
• Erectile
dysfunction strong predictor of death, cardiovascular outcomes
Men with
cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction (ED) are at
higher risk for death from all causes and also are more likely to
suffer cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke and heart failure
hospitalization, according to a new study. Treatments effective in
reducing cardiovascular disease had no effect on ED. Erectile
dysfunction should be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular
disease, researchers said.
NIH
Press Releases
NIH
Announcements
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
Scientific
Meetings for Creating Interdisciplinary Research Teams (R13)
ARRAOS:
Recovery Act Limited Competition: Behavioral Economics for Nudging the
Implementation of Comparative Effectiveness Research: Clinical Trials
(RC4)
Expires: 2010/04/08
Development,
Application, and Evaluation of Prediction Models for Cancer Risk...
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Development,
Application, and Evaluation of Prediction Models for Cancer Risk...
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Obesity
Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures (R01)
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Obesity
Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures (R21)
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Obesity
Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures (R03)
Program Announcement from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Next
Generation Genetic Association Studies (U01)
Request for
Applications from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Events
• Memory and the
Aging Brain
The NIH Director's Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series includes weekly
scientific talks by some of the top researchers in the biomedical
sciences worldwide.
Air date: 3/17/2010 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time
• New Models for
Large Prospective Studies
Large prospective, population-based cohorts are the optimal design for
defining disease burden and studying the many genetic, lifestyle, and
environmental factors that underlie human disease. Leveraging or
expanding existing efforts to establish a large-scale population cohort
may serve to create a much needed national research resource with which
to examine genetic and environmental contributions to disease and
advance
personalized medicine. The symposium, organized by the NIH
Office of the ...
• NIH
State-of-the-Science Conference: Preventing Alzheimer's Disease and
Cognitive Decline
Day 1 - Air
date: Monday, April 26, 2010, 8:30:00 AM
Day 2 - Air
date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 8:30:00 AM
Day 3 - Air
date: Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 9:00:00 AM
Conferences:
April 14, 2010 - Genomics Workshop -
Demography of Aging Centers Biomarker Network Meeting, Hyatt Regency Dallas,
TX
Attendance is
limited to 50 people (Contact
Eileen Crimmins crimmin@usc.edu)
2010
American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting, May 12 - 15,
2010 Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel Orlando, FL
Abstracts Deadline: March 15, 2010
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
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