MATURE MARKET HEADLINES POSTED 11/24/98
Gero-technology Creates Anti-aging Cells
University of Wisconsin researchers have engineered long-lived replacement cells for virtually every part of the human body is "a breakthrough of major proportions coming from gero-technology," according to Daniel Perry, executive director of the Alliance of Aging Research. Perry described gero-technology as a new and highly promising area of biotechnology.
"Gero-tech is when medical science uses new insights about the aging process to develop novel processes and therapies that ultimately could help cure, postpone or prevent age-related diseases," he said. With increasing understanding of the mechanisms of aging and increasing scientific interest in aging, Perry said, many new discoveries will be made that will increase the health and independence of a growing number of older Americans.
Dr. James Thompson and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, reported in the current issue of Science magazine that they have successfully derived human embryonic stem cells with unique properties including unlimited ability to divide, the capacity to retain the characteristics of young cells, and with the potential to be transplanted into any part of the body for therapeutic use. The Wisconsin researchers also claim that the potential to produce and supply unlimited quantities of normal human cells of virtually any tissue type will be a major boost for cell therapy research and for drug screening and testing. The unique qualities of human embryonic stem cells will also give researchers powerful new tools to understand the mechanisms of cell division and cell repair.
"The ability to maintain self-renewing yet long-lived colonies of human cells could lead directly to cell transplantation techniques in a few years to treat Parkinsons Disease, breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and possibly even Alzheimers," according to Perry. The research on human embryonic stem cells reported in Science was funded by and licensed to Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company based in Menlo Park, CA. The Alliance for Aging Research is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding cures, preventions and overall better health and vitality for older people through research. The group is based in Washington, DC.
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AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Latest Profile of Older Americans 1998
Jeanette C. Takamura, Assistant Secretary for Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services, has announced the availability of the updated annual publication, "A Profile of Older Americans 1998." This detailed brochure, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), is a compilation of the latest Federal data on America’s older population including statistics on size and growth, marital status, living arrangements, racial and ethnic composition, income, poverty, housing, employment, education, health status and health care.
"America’s cherished gift of longevity is not without responsibility. As we rapidly approach the 21st
century, it is critical that we have accurate, comprehensive data such as that contained within this
valuable brochure," said Takamura. "Providing this information to our many partners and their family
members, as well as those who work directly with and on behalf of older persons, will enable us to
better serve our older Americans now and into the future."
Some significant information detailed within this brochure includes:
- The older population (65+) numbered 34.1 million in 1997.
- Elders represent 12.7% of the U.S. population, about 1-in-8 Americans.
- Almost 2 million persons celebrated their 65th birthday in 1997 (5,335 per day).
- In 1997, there were 20 million older women and 14 older men.
- The older population will double in number to 70 million by year 2030.
- The 85+ population will increase from 3.9 to 8.5 million by year 2030.
- Minority elders will increase to 25% of the elderly population by year 2030.
Median income of older persons in 1996 was $17,768 for males and $10,062 for females. After
adjusting for inflation, these figures represented an increase of +4.2% in "real" income from 1997 for
men and +2.2% for women.
Major source of income as reported by the Social Security Administration for older individuals in 1997 was Social Security (reported by 91% of older persons), income from assets (reported by
63%), public and private pensions (reported by 41%), earnings (reported by 21%), and public
assistance (reported by 6%).
About 3.4 million older persons lived below the poverty level in 1997. Another 2.1 million or 6.4%
of the elderly were classified as "near poor" (income between poverty level and 125% of this level).
In total, about one sixth (17%) of the older population was poor or "near poor" in 1997.
The Administration on Aging serves as the official advocacy agency within the Federal government
and assists the States, area agencies on aging and tribal organizations to develop comprehensive
community-based service systems through the administration of the Older Americans Act. The American Association for Retired Persons is the nation’s leading membership and advocacy
organization for people 50 and older.
"Profile of Older Americans 1998" is available on the Administration on Aging web site at:
http://www.aoa.gov/aoa/stats/profile/
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Young Lawyers Court Mature Market
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (ABA/YLD) has just embarked
upon a one-year national public service project, called "Service to Seniors." Young lawyer
sections and committees in state and local bar associations are preparing consumer
educational materials and conducting legal clinics on issues such as planning for incapacity,
guardianship, consumer fraud, and elder abuse. In addition, some young lawyer groups are
providing pro bono legal assistance. Others are participating in non-legal projects, such as
delivering meals on wheels, visiting nursing home residents, or helping to develop "elder
friendly" court systems. Special focus will be on outreach to homebound elders. "Not only do our
efforts as young lawyers touch seniors directly, our efforts impact each person's family. Reaching out
to those seniors who do not have the ability to leave their homes or do not have the resources to
afford legal services should be a priority in every community," said Jo Ellen McBride, ABA special
project coordinator for "Service to Seniors."
"Service to Seniors" is intended to complement existing legal services for older people, such as those
funded under the Older Americans Act and the Legal Services Corporation, and those provided by
the private bar. The initiative represents an opportunity for state and area agencies on aging and legal
assistance and elder rights advocates to collaborate with young lawyer groups, and to develop
projects that fill the gaps and meet the legal needs of elders in their communities. Each state bar
association has a section or division of young lawyers, and each has been asked by the ABA/YLD
to participate in this initiative. Projects have been confirmed in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Texas,
California, Georgia, Washington and Colorado, and are being developed in many other states.
Young lawyers (who are usually under age 36 or licensed as lawyers for less than five years) have
been interested in aging issues for some time, and were the force behind the creation of several bar
association elder law committees. Indeed, in Georgia, Texas and Utah, elder law committees are still
housed within young lawyer sections. In most bar associations, however, the section or committee
devoted to the practice of elder law is a separate entity. Some elder law groups may be
collaborating with the young lawyers in the "Service to Seniors" project. If not, they are still likely to
be involved in some activities designed to benefit older people, such as consumer education,
legislative advocacy, or reduced fee or pro bono representation projects.
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Latina Mothers Risk Late-life Diabetes
Hispanic children of overweight or obese mothers are more likely to weigh more than the average U.S. child and could have a greater risk of becoming obese or develop problems with high blood pressure and high blood sugar later in life, according to a new University of Michigan study.
The study examined the effects that obesity and high blood sugar in Hispanic women had on the birth weights of their children. The researchers examined the medical records of 450 Hispanic women who sought care at Community Health and Social Services Center (CHASS), a community health center that serves a southwest Detroit neighborhood where a majority of families live below the poverty level. The children are born weighing an average of 7.6 pounds, compared with a U.S. average of 7.3 pounds.
Previously, high birth weights were recognized as a healthy attribute since children born in impoverished communities are more likely to be born weighing less than the average infant. Three percent of the children of mothers who participated in this study had low birth weights, compared with a national average of 7.4 percent in 1996 or 14 percent in some of the nation's most impoverished communities. "Even though they don't have very small babies, they have heavy babies who are at risk for a host of chronic illnesses later in life," said Edith Kieffer, assistant professor of health behavior and health education at the U-M's School of Public Health who is the lead author of the study.
Approximately 90 percent of the women in the study are of Mexican descent, 55 percent of the women are younger than 25 and the average family income for the women is less than $10,000 annually. Most of the women are overweight or obese and about 7 percent are diabetic. About one-third of the women have high blood sugar levels. Other studies have shown that immigrants adjusting to lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity have a higher risk of obesity and diabetes.
The study was co-authored by Ricardo Guzman, executive director of CHASS in Detroit; Dr. George Nolan of Henry Ford Hospital and Dr. Allison Ventura, medical director for CHASS. This study was funded by the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, Office of the Vice President for Research, Rackham School of Graduate Studies, and the Centers for Disease Control.
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Study Raises Health Hopes for Black Males
Environmental stressors contribute significantly to hypertension in young, urban African-American males, but high blood pressure can be dramatically decreased with the intervention of health care providers, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing report. Preliminary results of a two-year study of 309 African-American males ages 18 to 54 show that the absence of high blood pressure treatment and factors such as unemployment, poverty, substance abuse, and lack of health insurance increase environmental stress and raise blood pressure. Efforts of a Hopkins intervention team resulted in blood pressure control rates of almost 50 percent and a decrease of 75 percent in emergency room visits.
"Young, African-American males suffer some of the lowest rates of hypertension awareness, treatment and control," says Mary C. Roary, M.P.H., project director at Hopkins' Center for Nursing Research and an author of the study. "Environmental factors such as lack of health insurance, unemployment and other stressful living conditions exacerbate hypertension and put this population at even greater risk. The good news is that innovative and comprehensive approaches to the management and treatment of hypertension can have a significant impact on controlling high blood pressure.
"Use of an intervention team kept the men from having to use a hospital emergency department as their means of primary care," says Roary. "When health care provider recognized environmental stressors and addressed them, blood pressure was controlled." The Hopkins intervention team comprises a nurse practitioner, a physician and a community health worker. Participants in the study are given treatment including free medication, regular hypertension monitoring, employment referrals, transportation, home visits by a nurse practitioner, nutrition and risk-behavior classes, and counseling. After a 12-month follow-up, blood pressure control rates for the men increased by 44 percent. In addition, the number of visits the men made to emergency departments decreased from 145 to 35 during the time the intervention team was in place.
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