| More research in the field of drugs and aging would make an immediate contribution to the prevention of disabilities and decrease use of nursing homes for the elderly. The classic text in pharmacology does not even have "age" in the index. So the absence of a comprehensive body of knowledge about drugs and aging poses a serious problem. There are no prescription guidelines for physicians, most of whom are not adequately educated in the special problems of the elderly. The overuse and misuse of drugs often results in unnecessary falls, fractures, confusion, excess hospitalization, and expensive institutional care. A complex chain is involved, for example, in the problem of drug absorption: how the drug is distributed throughout the body; its attachment to and effectiveness on the target organ; metabolism and excretion of the drug; undesirable side effects; behavioral problems such as remembering to take the drug; and the special problem of multiple drugs interfering with the effectiveness of one another in elderly persons who have more than one medical condition. |
| A better understanding of the relationships of nutrition to aging and disease is of great importance in the study of the aging process (gerontology) and for the treatment of diseases of the elderly (geriatrics). NIA GRC has made a start in this area. The researchers evaluated the effect of age on diet among the longitudinal study volunteers, and determined the amount of energy they use in relation to the number of calories in their food. These studies show a significant decrease with age in calorie intake and the Baltimore researchers relate this to a decline in basal metabolism and the amount of energy used in physical activity. More research is needed in the field of nutrition and aging. |
| It is no secret that women tend to live longer than men. Cardiovascular problems are less frequent for women during their prime (reproductive) years. But, after menopause, the life expectancy gap between men and women narrows. With the addition of women to the Longitudinal Study it may be possible to determine why women have an 8 to 9 year edge in life span over men. Is it genetic, hormonal, physiological, social, or psychological? Only time and longitudinal studies such as this will help provide the answers. |
| Current systems of mandatory retirement result in economic and human loss to society. The productive contribution of retirees is lost and money must be paid for their care and support. One answer to this problem would be flexible retirement systems, based on standards of health and well-being that can be measured and reproduced. Research with the Baltimore Longitudinal volunteers, among others, can provide the necessary physiological, psychological, and social data on which to base retirement policies. With women playing an increasingly larger role in all phases of modern life, the new womens' program at Baltimore can, in time, add important facts on which to base future public and private decisions. Flexible retirement systems alone might save billions of dollars paid in social security benefits and in public and private pension systems. |
| What else lies ahead? A slow creep upward can be expected in the average life expectancy, because of improved living conditions, improved health, better medical diagnosis and medical care. An interesting statistic on life expectancy is that the projected increase is greater for women than for men. For women in highly industrialized and developed nations, the increase may be five to ten years over the next half century. In 1900 women lived approximately two years longer than men. Today the gap is nine years. NIA GRC studies now in progress may determine why these differences exist between males and females. |
| The Baltimore study is dynamic. It did not begin, as Dr. Reubin Andres, NIA Clinical Director, has noted, "with all the right questions." New ideas and new hypotheses occur all the time. They, in turn, lead to new studies of the aging process. There will always be fresh areas to investigate. |
