| National Institute on Aging Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) |
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| To Understand the Aging Process (1980) The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of the National Institute on Aging | NIH Publication No. 80-134 Reprinted August 1980 |
| "Minimum Disability" not "More Years of Old Age" |
| Dr. Shock, who retired as NIA Scientific Director in 1977, says the goal of gerontology research is "not to increase the number of years of old age and infirmity but rather to allow more people to reach the presently attainable life span with minimum disability." |
| With this goal in mind, NIA GRC scientists try to find the reasons for the changes that take place as people age. They know that the 30-year-old is not the same biologically as the 20-year-old. Nor are 40-year-olds the same as those in their thirties. It is important, therefore, to study the aging of an individual on a long-term basis, not just as he or she progresses from old to very old when the more obvious changes take place. |
| The Baltimore Longitudinal Study involves a constant search to discover the reasons for physiological changes with aging, how people acquire and deal with various diseases, and how they perform intellectually. Changes are measured by taking medical histories, physical examinations, X-rays, tests of hearing and vision, metabolism, nutrition, learning, memory, and problem-solving. There are also studies of the heart and circulation, exercise and neuromuscular function, kidney and lung function, and body composition. The combination of all test results in time should provide scientists with ways to prevent or ease the debilitating effects of old age. The Longitudinal Study continuously produces new information on aging -- not one grand conclusion but specific areas of knowledge that, added together, provide a better picture of what happens to the human body with advancing age. |
| Despite my apparent skepticism, this test is painless. A narrow beam is scanning my forearm to analyze the mineral content and width of the bones. A computer analyzes the data and reads out an index of density on the dials at right. Bone loss is one of the very serious problems of old age -- especially in postmenopausal women. Even in elderly men, bone loss in the spine is a serious problem. The rate of loss, as measured in this test, provides an index to understanding these problems. |  | My coordination ability is measured with this test of speed and accuracy. The object of the tapping test is to put pencil dots in alternate target zones as rapidly as possible while maintaining maximum accuracy. On nine different sheets the distance between the target zones varies widely as does the width of the zone itself. Speed and accuracy of movement, as measured here, reflect the condition of my central nervous system and its ability to coordinate the basic movements necessary for everyday living. |  |
| "We try harder" in this pulling and pushing test to measure changes in arm and shoulder strength. My grimace represents "effort," not "pain." Muscle strength, we learn, is maintained at near young adult levels through age 60. This is a good example of the value of a "longitudinal" as opposed to "cross-sectional" study. Changes in my muscle strength over a period of 20 years are more significant than simple one-time tests of individuals of various ages. |  |
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