The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding - Institute of Medicine

 

Released: March 31, 2011

Type:  Consensus Report

 

Topics: Select Populations and Health Disparities, Biomedical and Health Research Health Services, Coverage, and Access

Activity:  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health Issues and Research Gaps and Opportunities

 

Board:  Board on the Health of Select Populations

 

At a time when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals—often referred to under the umbrella acronym LGBT—are becoming more visible in society and more socially acknowledged, clinicians and researchers are faced with incomplete information about their health status. While LGBT populations often are combined as a single entity for research and advocacy purposes, each is a distinct population group with its own specific health needs.

Furthermore, the experiences of LGBT individuals are not uniform and are shaped by factors of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographical location, and age, any of which can have an effect on health-related concerns and needs. Researchers still have a great deal to learn and face a number of challenges in understanding the health needs of LGBT populations.

To help assess the state of the science, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) asked the IOM to evaluate current knowledge of the health status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations; to identify research gaps and opportunities; and to outline a research agenda to help NIH focus its research in this area.

The IOM finds that to advance understanding of the health needs of all LGBT individuals, researchers need more data about the demographics of these populations, improved methods for collecting and analyzing data, and an increased participation of sexual and gender minorities in research. Building a more solid evidence base for LGBT health concerns will not only benefit LGBT individuals, but also add to the repository of health information we have that pertains to all people.

The focus of Chapter 6 is Later Adulthood.

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Complete Report can read online or purchased.

Long-Term Plan Announced for Diabetes Research

By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage Today

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has announced its 10-year strategic plan for diabetes research.

"By setting priorities and identifying the most compelling research opportunities, the strategic plan will guide NIH, other federal agencies, and the investigative community in efforts to improve diabetes treatments and identify ways to keep more people healthy," NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, MD, said in a statement.

The strategic plan covers a number of areas, including:

• The relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes, and how both conditions may be affected by genetics and environment
• Autoimmune mechanisms at work in type 1 diabetes
• The biology of beta cells
• Development of artificial pancreas technologies to improve management of blood sugar levels
• Prevention of complications
• Reduction of the impact of diabetes on groups disproportionately affected by the disease, including the elderly and racial and ethnic minorities

The NIDDK plans to continue its emphasis on clinical trials in humans, "which already [have] led to highly effective methods for managing diabetes and preventing complications," Rodgers said.

Within each broad area, the strategic plan lists some specific areas of focus.

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NIH Research Opportunity: Economics of Retirement

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HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Economics of Retirement (R01)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=77793



HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Economics of Retirement (R03)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=77794



HHS
Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Economics of Retirement (R21)
Grant
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=77813

Moderate Exercise May Improve Memory in Older Adults

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A new study in older adults shows that brisk walking can increase the size of a brain region involved in memory formation. The finding suggests that moderate physical exercise can help protect the brain as we age.

The brain region called the hippocampus begins to shrink in older adults as part of the normal aging process. This can contribute to forgetfulness, memory loss and increased risk of dementia. Physical fitness is known to be associated with both increased hippocampus size and improved cognitive ability. However, it was unclear how exercise might affect people who’d already had some hippocampus deterioration as a result of aging.
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Improving the Health and Well-Being of Older Americans by Translating Research into Practice

Translating research knowledge into practical advances to benefit the health and well being of older Americans has increasingly become a priority for both agencies. Although there is some adoption of translated, evidence-based interventions into practice, it has been limited and few evidence-based interventions have been brought to scale nationwide. This program announcement encourages applications that focus on the translation of behavioral and social research in aging into the development of new interventions that can be used by community-based organizations that assist elderly individuals. 

Collaborations between academic research centers and community-based organizations with expertise serving the elderly are a top priority.  Partnerships of this nature will enhance our understanding of practical tools, techniques, programs and policies that communities across the nation can use to more effectively respond to needs of their aging populations. The two funding announcements can be found on the NIH website at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-123.html

Another Possible Risk Factor For Heart Disease Revealed By NIH-Funded Study

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Abnormal heart rate turbulence is associated with an increased risk of heart disease death in otherwise low-risk older individuals, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

This study appears in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology.

Among the nearly 1,300 study participants, heart rate turbulence, which reflects how well the heart reacts to occasional premature contractions, was an even stronger heart disease risk factor than elevated levels of C-reactive protein. CRP is a potential heart disease biomarker that has emerged in recent years.

Study participants considered at low risk of heart disease based on traditional risk factors were on average 8 to 9 times more likely to die of heart disease during the roughly 14-year follow-up period if they had abnormal heart rate turbulence values. Traditional risk factors include age, gender, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and smoking. Low-risk individuals with elevated CRP in their blood were about 2.5 times more likely to die than those with normal or low CRP.

"These findings suggest that apparently healthy people might be at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and heart rate turbulence may help us identify them," said Susan B. Shurin, M.D., acting director of the NHLBI. "It will be important to see if we can replicate this finding in other populations."

This study followed 1,272 adults aged 65 and older as part of the NHLBI's Cardiovascular Health Study. Participants were categorized as healthy (no sign of heart disease risk except possibly diabetes), subclinical (some signs of heart disease) or clinical (had a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack). At the onset, participants underwent 24-hour monitoring of their hearts' electrical activity through a small electrocardiographic, or ECG, device called a Holter monitor attached to their skin.

Abnormal heart rate turbulence and CRP levels both appeared to independently correlate with an increased likelihood of dying of heart disease in the group that was categorized as healthy, even after controlling for other risk factors. Abnormal heart rate turbulence - present in about 7 percent of the study participants - also predicted an increased likelihood of heart disease death in the subclinical and clinical groups, though these results were not as pronounced.

Heart rate turbulence refers to how smoothly the heart rate returns to normal after a premature ventricular contraction, a fairly common event in which the second portion of a heart beat is triggered too soon. Due to the improper timing between the atrial and ventricular contractions, the ventricles haven't fully filled with blood and therefore do not push out enough blood to the body. The brain detects this sub-optimal release of blood and instantly increases the heart rate to pump more blood. However, this overcompensation raises blood pressure, causing the brain to react again and lower the heart rate until blood pressure returns to normal.

By analyzing the heart's electrical signals, physicians can measure the magnitude of the initial heart rate jump (turbulence onset) and the speed at which heart rate returns to normal (turbulence slope), and then determine if the heart rate turbulence response is normal or abnormal.

"A heart rate turbulence measurement is insightful because it offers a sign of how well the autonomic, or subconscious, nervous system is functioning," said study author Phyllis K. Stein, Ph.D., a research associate professor of medicine and director of the Heart Rate Variability Laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "If someone's heart doesn't react well to these uncoordinated beats that might mean it's not good at reacting to other issues like sudden stress or severe arrhythmias."

Researchers don't yet know if abnormal heart rate turbulence can be treated or prevented. In the meantime, said Stein, interest might grow within the medical community in measuring heart rate turbulence in clinical practice. Currently, this type of measurement is not widely available.

"This study shows a great potential value for heart rate turbulence in diagnostic settings," said Robin Boineau, M.D., a medical officer in the NHLBI's Division of Cardiovascular Sciences. "It appears that signs of heart rate turbulence are also generally present a year or more before clinical manifestations of heart disease, indicating that this may be an opportunity for disease prevention in addition to disease prediction."

In addition to the NHLBI, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke also contributed funding to this study.

Source:
NHLBI Communications Office
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Failed Amyloid Clearance May Be Cause of AD

By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today

Defective mechanisms for removing amyloid-beta protein from the brain, rather than excessive production, may be the root cause of Alzheimer's disease, researchers said.

Full Article

Scientists Identify Novel Role for Lipids in Pneumonia

A study of mouse and human lung fluid revealed a fatty molecule that may play an unexpected role in the breathing difficulties of pneumonia. The finding could open the door to entirely new approaches for treating this sometimes-deadly condition.

Pneumonia is a serious lung disease and a leading cause of death in all age groups. Bacteria are the most common cause in adults, but respiratory viruses and fungal infections can also trigger the disease. Pneumonia arises when the airways become inflamed and filled with fluid in response to an infection. Symptoms include coughing, fever, chills and trouble breathing.

Bacterial pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics. With the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, scientists have been seeking new therapies that target underlying disease mechanisms rather than targeting the microbes. To date, few non-antibiotic therapies have been found to improve the outcomes of patients with severe pneumonia.

To learn more about at how bacterial pneumonia harms the lungs at the molecular level, a research team led by Dr. Rama Mallampalli at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine took a closer look at the fluid that naturally bathes the airways and tiny air sacs. The study was supported primarily by NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

As reported in the October 2010 issue of Nature Medicine, the researchers analyzed lung fluid from humans and mice with pneumonia. They discovered abnormally high levels of a fatty molecule, or lipid, called cardiolipin. Cardiolipin is typically found in the outer membranes of mitochondria and bacteria, but it’s also known to be a minor component of healthy lung fluid.

When the scientists administered cardiolipin to mice, the animals’ lung function declined and the resulting tissue damage appeared similar to human pneumonia. Additional experiments confirmed that elevated cardiolipin appears to harm lung tissue.
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Study Links Cellular Motors To Memory

Functioning much like gears in a machine, cellular motor proteins are critical to dynamic functions throughout the body, including muscle contraction, cell migration and cellular growth processes. Now, neuroscientists from UC Irvine and the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute report that motor proteins also play a critical role in the stabilization of long-term memories. The findings add an unexpected dimension to the story of how memories are encoded and suggest new targets for therapeutic interventions.

UCI's Christopher Rex and Gavin Rumbaugh at Scripps found that myosin II proteins, more commonly studied in muscle contraction and cell migration, are critical for functional brain plasticity and learning. The work builds on a fundamental theory of memory - posed over 25 years ago by UCI neuroscientist Gary Lynch - that memories are the product of structural rearrangements of synapses in the brain.

"We suspected that motor proteins are involved in synaptic plasticity," said Rumbaugh, an assistant professor of neuroscience. "Now that we know that they are, we can begin to investigate how the vast literature on motor proteins from other cell types may generalize to neurons."

The study results appear in Neuron.

Myosin II motors are one of the most studied protein complexes in the human body. They are best known for interacting with actin filaments to control initiate forces within cellular compartments.

"Cells are constructed like buildings," said Rex, a Kauffman Foundation Fellow in anatomy & neurobiology. "Actin can be thought of as the building's frame, meaning it determines the scale and design of the structure. Myosin II would then be like a crane moving the beams into place. The main difference being that myosin II is poised to both tear down and rebuild the structure with a completely different design at any minute."

A core tenant of contemporary theory is that the sizes and shapes of dendritic spines, small protrusions at the receiving end of chemical transmission at synapses, are critical for determining synaptic strength.

"We know that appropriate patterns of neuronal activity can cause structural changes to these elements spines, now our major focus is to understand how this works," said Lynch, who contributed to the study.
Having discovered that a submicroscopic motor drives synaptic reorganization, the UCI and Scripps research groups believe they are substantially closer to understanding how to selectively enhance memory formation, and thereby treat the memory problems associated with aging, post-traumaticstress, mental retardation and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Christine Gall, Eniko Kramar, Lulu Chen and Yousheng Jia of UCI; Cristin Gavin and Courtney Miller of Scripps; Maria Rubio of the University of Alabama, Birmingham; Richard Huganir of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Nicholas Muzyczka of the University of Florida contributed to this work, which received support from the National Institutes of Health; the University of Alabama, Birmingham; the McKnight Brain Institute; Alabama Health Sciences Foundation; and the Kauffman Foundation.

Source: Tom Vasich - University of California - Irvine

Calling All Couch Potatoes! Walking Boosts Brain Connectivity, Function

A group of "professional couch potatoes," as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise - in this case walking at one's own pace for 40 minutes three times a week - can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.

The study, in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, followed 65 adults, aged 59 to 80, who joined a walking group or stretching and toning group for a year. All of the participants were sedentary before the study, reporting less than two episodes of physical activity lasting 30 minutes or more in the previous six months. The researchers also measured brain activity in 32 younger (18- to 35-year-old) adults.

Rather than focusing on specific brain structures, the study looked at activity in brain regions that function together as networks.

"Almost nothing in the brain gets done by one area - it's more of a circuit," said University of Illinois psychology professor and Beckman Institute Director Art Kramer, who led the study with kinesiology and community health professor Edward McAuley and doctoral student Michelle Voss. "These networks can become more or less connected. In general, as we get older, they become less connected, so we were interested in the effects of fitness on connectivity of brain networks that show the most dysfunction with age."

Neuroscientists have identified several distinct brain circuits. Perhaps the most intriguing is the default mode network (DMN), which dominates brain activity when a person is least engaged with the outside world - either passively observing something or simply daydreaming.

Previous studies found that a loss of coordination in the DMN is a common symptom of aging and in extreme cases can be a marker of disease, Voss said.

"For example, people with Alzheimer's disease tend to have less activity in the default mode network and they tend to have less connectivity," she said. Low connectivity means that the different parts of the circuit are not operating in sync. Like poorly trained athletes on a rowing team, the brain regions that make up the circuit lack coordination and so do not function at optimal efficiency or speed, Voss said.

In a healthy young brain, activity in the DMN quickly diminishes when a person engages in an activity that requires focus on the external environment. Older people, people with Alzheimer's disease and those who are schizophrenic have more difficulty "down-regulating" the DMN so that other brain networks can come to the fore, Kramer said.

A recent study by Kramer, Voss and their colleagues found that older adults who are more fit tend to have better connectivity in specific regions of the DMN than their sedentary peers. Those with more connectivity in the DMN also tend to be better at planning, prioritizing, strategizing and multi-tasking.

The new study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine whether aerobic activity increased connectivity in the DMN or other brain networks. The researchers measured participants' brain connectivity and performance on cognitive tasks at the beginning of the study, at six months and after a year of either walking or toning and stretching.

At the end of the year, DMN connectivity was significantly improved in the brains of the older walkers, but not in the stretching and toning group, the researchers report.
The walkers also had increased connectivity in parts of another brain circuit (the fronto-executive network, which aids in the performance of complex tasks) and they did significantly better on cognitive tests than their toning and stretching peers.

Previous studies have found that aerobic exercise can enhance the function of specific brain structures, Kramer said. This study shows that even moderate aerobic exercise also improves the coordination of important brain networks.

"The higher the connectivity, the better the performance on some of these cognitive tasks, especially the ones we call executive control tasks - things like planning, scheduling, dealing with ambiguity, working memory and multitasking," Kramer said. These are the very skills that tend to decline with aging, he said.

This study was supported by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health.

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Treatment of Co-Occurring Alcohol Use Disorders and Depression/Anxiety Disorders

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The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), invites applications to support research on the treatment of individuals with co-occurring alcohol use disorders and depression/anxiety. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The scope of interest includes innovative pharmacological and behavioral treatments based on biological, psychological, behavioral, and social/cultural models of etiology and treatment of comorbid alcohol use disorders and depression/anxiety. In addition, this FOA accepts Comparative and Effectiveness Research applications which compares two or more different existing treatments in this comorbid population. This FOA is limited to depression and anxiety because of the high prevalence of these psychiatric disorders in individuals with alcohol use disorders. Mechanism of Support. This FOA will use the NIH Exploratory/Developmental (R21) award mechanism and runs in parallel with a FOA of identical scientific scope, PAS-10-251, that encourages applications under the R01 mechanisms Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. NIAAA has set aside $1.5 million in total cost for fiscal year 2011, and expects that a total of up to six awards will be made for this and companions FOAs. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the quality, duration and costs of the applications received .

Eligible Applicants

State governments
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Link to Full Announcement

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-10-252.html

TIME GOES BY | Big Brother is Out to Control All Elders' Money

by Ronni Bennett

Recently, Cowtown Pattie of Texas Trifles blog sent me an eight-page brief [pdf] from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College titled What is the Age of Reason? In Pattie's words, it is a “chilling read” and she is not wrong.

The four authors of this brief are identified as a senior financial economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, a senior economist with the Federal Reserve System, a professor of finance at New York University and another professor at Harvard.

Among them, they acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) which is a federal agency and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a division of the National Institutes of Health that describes itself as “leading the federal effort on aging research.” Bear with me – it's important that you know the genesis of this document.

The authors note that the views expressed in the brief

“do not represent the policies or positions of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, or the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.”

Whether the views of the NSF or NIA are represented is not stated.

Four of those eight pages of the brief are a title page, references and endnotes, so there's not much text.
The majority of the brief, including four graphs, gives a short overview of studies the authors analyzed which, they say, show “The prevalence of both dementia and cognitive impairment without dementia rises rapidly with age” and that older adults make more financial mistakes than mid-age adults.

All right - so far, so good in that this is true for SOME old people, although the information is nothing new. This is what academics do – slice and dice each other's work, sometimes to good effect and sometimes not, and issue thousands of briefs every year most of which sink into oblivion. But then the authors get to their conclusions ominously titled, “Possible Policy Responses”:

“In response to this problem, several policy approaches are possible and government intervention is probably desirable, although the ideal form of intervention remains unclear.” [emphasis added]

The authors immediately dismiss their first and only benign policy suggestion for government intervention - to strengthen financial disclosure requirements to the public – by stating that “we are skeptical that improved disclosure will be effective in improving financial choices.”

Then the brief begins to get scary – remember, this all targets elders. The second suggestion involves “financial driving licenses,” the requirement to pass a test before being allowed to make non-trivial financial decisions. They ask a whole bunch of feasibility questions including the all-important, Who would be required to take the test?

Well, not me; I will resist clear to the barricades. Reading this brief, I'm beginning to have some sympathy for the teabaggers who object to too much government.

In their final suggestion, the authors step all the way across the line into totalitarianism with “mandatory advance directives” in which adults would be required by a certain age to sign a document placing management of their assets with a third party if they become incapacitated.

That's already too much to stomach, but it gets worse.

“...a fiduciary could be appointed to approve all 'significant financial transactions' involving the principal’s funds after the principal reaches a designated age.” [emphasis added]

In regard to that diabological idea, the authors admit that “it might be perceived by some older adults as an unfair restriction targeted against them.”

DUH!

Not content to pull Social Security out from under elders (as too many in Congress are currently attempting to do), now they are thinking up ways to take everything else old people have.

As I noted above, thousands of such studies are written each year and most sink out of sight before the ink is dry. Some of them sometimes work their way through the bureaucracy to become policy or law. I have no confidence that this one, that would give the government or its appointees access to trillions of dollars in elder assets, will disappear.

Remember that two of these researchers work for federal agencies involved with monetary policy of commercial and investment banking, two others with major universities that are paid to supply the federal government with policy research, and the funding for this project comes from two other federal agencies.

Read the brief for yourself here [pdf].


TIME GOES BY | Big Brother is Out to Control All Elders' Money

The New Landscape - Preparing to Care for an Aging Population - NYTimes.com

by Milt Freudenheim

With a nudge from the new health care law and pressure from Medicare, hospitals, doctors and nurses are struggling to prepare for explosive growth in the numbers of high-risk elderly patients.

More than 40 percent of adult patients in acute care hospital beds are 65 or older. Seventy million Americans will have turned 65 by 2030. They include the 85-and-older cohort, the nation’s fastest-growing age group.
Elderly people often have multiple chronic illnesses, expensive to treat, and they are apt to require costly hospital readmissions, sometimes as often as 10 times in a single year.
The Obama administration is spending $500 million from last year’s stimulus package to support the training of doctors and nurses and other health care providers at all levels, “from college teachers through work force professionals on the front lines of patient care,” said Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services.
But the administration and Congress seem to be paying less attention to geriatric health issues. For example, only 11 percent of research funding at the National Institutes of Health went to aging research last year.
“In every area of aging — education, clinical care, research — people just don’t realize how dire the situation is,” said Dr. David B. Reuben, chief of the geriatrics division of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Judith Salerno, a geriatrician who is executive officer of the Institute of Medicine in Washington, agreed. “All the most common causes of death and illness and functional impairment in the general population are diseases of aging,” she said.

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Despite Aging Baby Boomers, N.I.H. Devotes Only 11 Percent to Elderly Studies - NYTimes.com

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by Milt Freudenheim

The health needs of tens of millions of aging baby boomers threaten to overwhelm the nation’s hospitals and caregivers within a decade or two, but the geriatric tidal wave does not appear to have been fully recognized at the National Institutes of Health.

The N.I.H., the nation’s main medical research center, is devoting only about 11 percent of its $31 billion budget to studies directly involving health concerns of the elderly. Less than one-third of the $3.46 billion in aging research reported this fiscal year is channeled through the National Institute on Aging, nominally the main center for geriatric research.

Most of the funds, including some involving Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and osteoporosis, came through other N.I.H. institutes.

Aging is just one of a half dozen “compelling” opportunities for important scientific advances, said Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the national institutes. “Aging is very much on our radar screen.” he said. “So, of course, is diabetes, so is cancer, so is mental illness, so is research on children, autism.”

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Aging Studies in the Pulmonary System

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The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) invite research project grant applications that explore age-associated changes in pulmonary physiology, pathology and function, and their relationship to respiratory conditions and diseases that occur commonly in older populations. The goal of this FOA is to support basic, clinical and translational research to address physiological mechanisms underlying progressive functional declines in the pulmonary system. This research will likely enhance our basic understanding of molecular and cellular aspects of pulmonary aging, which may translate into improvements in the prevention and management of pulmonary diseases in older persons. Projects involving in vitro studies, animal models, and/or human subjects are of significant interest to NIA and NHLBI. Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the R01 grant mechanism Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Link to Full Announcement

National Institute on Aging; Notice of Meeting

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The meeting will be open to the public as indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should notify the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting.

The meeting will be closed to the public in accordance with the provisions set forth in sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., as amended. The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial property such as patentable material, and personal information concerning individuals associated with the grant applications, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

Name of Committee: National Advisory Council on Aging.

Date: May 25-26, 2010.

Closed: May 25, 2010, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications.

Place: National Institutes of Health, Building 31, 31 Center Drive, C Wing, Conference Room 10, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Open: May 26, 2010, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Agenda: Call to order and reports from the Task Force on Minority Aging Research, the Working Group on Program; Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology Review; and Program Highlights.

Place: National Institutes of Health, Building 31, 31 Center Drive, C Wing, Conference Room 10, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Contact Person: Robin Barr, Ph.D., Director, National Institute On Aging, Office of Extramural Activities, Gateway Building, 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. (301) 496-9322. barrr@nia.nih.gov.

Social Network Analysis and Health (R01)

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Executive Summary

* Purpose. This FOA encourages research that aims to accomplish one or more specific goals: (1) generate new theories that would enhance the capabilities and value of Social Network Analysis (SNA); (2) address fundamental questions about social interactions and processes in social networks; (3) address fundamental questions about social networks in relation to health and health-related behaviors; (4) develop innovative methodologies and technologies to facilitate, improve, and expand the capabilities of SNA.

* Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the R01 grant mechanism and runs in parallel with a FOA of identical scientific scope, PAR-10-146, that encourages applications under the R21 grant mechanism.

* Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

* Budget and Project Period. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 5 years. Applicants for an R01 award are not limited in dollars but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

* Application Research Strategy Length. The R01 Research Strategy section may not exceed 12 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts. See Table of Page Limits.

* Eligible Institutions/Organizations. Institutions/organizations listed in Section III, 1.A. are eligible to apply.

* Eligible Project Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs). Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research are invited to work with their institution/organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

* Number of PDs/PIs. More than one PD/PI (i.e., multiple PDs/PIs) may be designated on the application.

* Number of Applications. Applicants may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

* Resubmissions. Applicants may submit a resubmission application, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous peer review critique (Summary Statement). See new NIH policy on resubmission (amended) applications (NOT-OD-09-003, NOT-OD-09-016).

* Renewals. Applicants may submit a renewal application.

* Special Date(s). This FOA uses non-standard due dates. See Receipt, Review and Anticipated Start Dates

* Application Materials. See Section IV.1 for application materials.

* General Information. For general information on SF424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission, see these Web sites:
o SF424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission Information: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm
o General information on Electronic Submission of Grant Applications: http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/

* Hearing Impaired. Telecommunications for the hearing impaired are available at: TTY: (301) 451-5936

More Information

Even With Heart Disease Awareness on the Rise, Prevention Remains Critically Important for American Women, February 2, 2010 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

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The Heart Truth campaign urges women to take action

In recognition of American Heart Month, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and its heart disease awareness campaign — The Heart Truth — is reminding all American women that heart disease prevention remains critically important, despite that fact that awareness is at an all time high. More women than ever know that heart disease is their leading killer, yet millions of women are at risk, at increasingly younger ages.

Even with increased awareness, 80 percent of midlife women (ages 40 to 60) still have one or more of the modifiable risk factors — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, and smoking. Sixty percent of younger women, ages 20-39, have one or more of these risk factors. Recent data show high rates of overweight/obesity in younger women, which may lead to higher rates of heart disease in later years.

"Women are developing heart disease at younger ages, and our research shows that many women, particularly at younger ages, still do not recognize their personal risk," says Susan Shurin, M.D., acting director, NHLBI. "What young women need to realize is that leading a healthy lifestyle in their 20s and 30s sets them up for a long and healthy life."

Although overall heart disease deaths in women have gone down, the death rate in young women increases threefold between the third and fourth decade of life. This suggests that the late 20s and early 30s is a critical time for women to take action to reduce their risk, according to Dr. Shurin.

Activities such as National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 5 and The Heart Truth's signature Red Dress Collection 2010 fashion event on Thursday, Feb. 11 encourage Americans to raise awareness of heart disease in women. The Red Dress is the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness, and helps remind women to recognize and take action to reduce their risks for heart disease.

Statistics show that heart disease risk factors are subject to a multiplier effect. This means that having even one risk factor, such as high blood pressure, can double a woman’s chance of developing heart disease. Two risk factors, such as overweight and high blood pressure, increase risk fourfold, and having three or more risk factors increases risk tenfold.

Women can prevent heart disease by reducing their risk, and following a heart-healthy lifestyle. An annual physical can provide a risk factor numbers check — blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, and, if appropriate, blood glucose — and the opportunity to start a discussion about physical activity levels and smoking to develop a personal plan to reduce their risk. Such a plan would incorporate heart healthy eating, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. Regardless of a woman's age, NHLBI research shows that it's never too early or too late to take action.

As another way to raise awareness and encourage heart healthy living among women, The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2010 will go behind the seams on the opening night of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to remind women it's what’s inside that counts. A healthy heart means a longer, healthier life. More than 20 of today's hottest celebrities will walk the runway in red dresses created by America's top designers to encourage women to protect their heart health and inspire them to take action.

"Women have tremendous power to reduce their risk of heart disease, and I am delighted that our sponsors and the fashion and entertainment industries will again join with The Heart Truth to bring this urgent heart health message to millions of women and encourage them to take action to protect their hearts," said Dr. Shurin.

The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2010 is presented by Diet Coke. "Diet Coke is pleased to be partnering with The Heart Truth for the third year to help spread the message about heart health and living positively," said Caren Pasquale Seckler, assistant vice president, Coke Trademark Brands. "Heart health continues to be a priority for Diet Coke consumers and for our brand. Through our powerful network, we have tremendous opportunities to remind women, especially younger women, how to stay active and live a more well-balanced, heart healthy life." National sponsors of the 2010 Collection include Swarovski, and Tylenol and St. Joseph Aspirin; the make-up partner is Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

Celebrity participants in this year’s Red Dress Collection Fashion Show include: Bethenny Frankel, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Felicity Huffman, Dania Ramirez, Dara Torres, Estelle, Heidi Klum, Swoosie Kurtz, Jewel, Jordin Sparks, Kim Kardashian, Kimora Lee, Kristin Chenoweth, Mamie Gummer, Raven–Symoné, Regina King, Robin Roberts, and Rose McGowan.

Participating designers in the 2010 Collection include: Isabella Oliver, Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, Ohne Titel, Rachel Roy, Zac Posen, John Galliano, Monique Lhuillier, Badgley Mischka, Marchesa, Kouture, Daniel Swarovski, Michael Kors, Tadashi Shoji, Tracy Reese, J. Crew Collection, and Dolce & Gabbana.

A selection of designer dresses worn by celebrities in The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection Fashion Show will be auctioned off through a partnership with Clothes Off Our Back, at www.clothesoffourback.org. The auction starts in February and will run through early March. Proceeds will benefit the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health on behalf of The Heart Truth in support of women's heart health education and research.

For additional information, visit www.hearttruth.gov or email your inquiry to media@hearttruth.org.

Please Note: Participants in The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2010 Fashion Show were confirmed at time of release and are subject to change.

About The Heart Truth

The Heart Truth® is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Through the campaign, NHLBI leads the nation in a landmark heart health awareness movement that is being embraced by millions who share the common goal of better heart health for all women.

The centerpiece of The Heart Truth is the Red Dress, which was introduced as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 by NHLBI. The Red Dress® reminds women of the need to protect their heart health, and inspires them to take action.

To learn more, visit www.hearttruth.gov.

LSUHSC Research Yields Promising Stroke Treatment

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from Medical News Today

For the first time, research led by Youming Lu, PhD, MD, Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has identified a novel mechanism that may trigger brain damage during stroke and identified a therapeutic approach to block it. The work, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), both of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as the American Heart Association, was published in the January 22, 2010 issue of the top tier journal, Cell, also available online.

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COPD, Even When Mild, Limits Heart Functions

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