Biology of Aging: Sources and Resources
I. ARTICLES
“An Anti-aging drug today: From senescence-promoting genes to anti-aging pill,” Mikhail V. Blagosklonny,
Drug Discovery Today, vol. 12., no. 5-6, pps 218-224, March 2007..
“Does senescence give rise to disease,” B. A. Carnes, D. O Staats, W. E. Sonntag, Journal of Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, vol. 129, 2008, 693-699.
“Manipulating Mitochondria: Playing in the fountain of youth,” D. Schardt, Nutrition Action Healthletter, Dec. 2008.
“The Way We Age Now,” Atul Gwande, The New Yorker, April 30, 2007
“The biological sciences section program at the 60th annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America,” Effros, Austad, Blau, et al, Journal of Gerontology: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 2008, VOL. 63a, NO 4, 331-337.
II. BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS (in quotes)
“Ageism in America” (download at: http://www.ilcusa.org/pages/publications.php
Aging in Good Health: Multidisciplinary perspectives, Sue E. Levkoff, Yeon Kyung Chee, Shohei Noguchi
“Aging Parents and Common Sense: A practical guide for you and your parents” (free from: AXA Advisors, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, NYC, NY 10104, or download at: www.AXAonline.com)
“Biomarkers of Aging: From Primitive Organisms to Man,” (download at: http://www.ilcusa.org/pages/publications.php)
Clinical Geriatrics, T. S. Dharmarajan and Robert A. Norman
Complete Guide to Health Services for Seniors, T. Lieberman, et al (Yes, our T. Lieberman)
Current Geriatric Diagnosis and Treatment, S. Landefeld, R. Palmer, et al.
Geriatric Nutrition, Daphne K. Roe
“Global Aging Report: Threats to longevity, A call to action” (download at: http://www.ilcusa.org/pages/publications/politics-health-care/global-aging-report-threats-to-longevity.php)
Handbook of Clinical Nutrition and Aging, Connie W. Bales, Christine S. Ritchie
Healthy Aging, Andrew Weil, MD
Handbook of Nutrition in the Aged, Ronald R. Watson, Alyssa Wittore
“Has Anyone Ever Died of Old Age,” Leonard Hayflick, PhD and Harry R. Moody, PhD (download at: http://www.ilcusa.org/pages/publications/politics-health-care.php)
“Journalists’ Guide to Covering the Aging of the Baby Boom” (download at: www.civicventures.org/jguide.cfm)
“Media Takes: On Aging” (download at: http://www.ilcusa.org/pages/publications.php)
Merck Manual of Geriatrics (free online: http://www.merck.com/mkgr/mmg/home.jsp)
Molecular Biology of Aging, Leonard P. Guarente, Linda Partridge, Douglas C. Wallace
Principles of Geriatric Medicine, W. R. Hazzard, et al
Successful Aging, John W. Rowe, MD, and R. L. Kahn, Ph.D. (The book that started the ‘successful aging’ trend.)
The Biology of Aging: Observations and principals, Robert Arking, 3rd edition
The Longevity Revolution, Robert N. Butler, MD
The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk and Adventure in the 25 years after 50, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, PhD (MacAurthur Prize winning author)
The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging, S. Jay Olshansky, PhD, Bruce A. Carnes, PhD
Why We Age: What science is discovering about the body’s journey through life, Steven N. Austad
III. JOURNALS:
Clinical Gerontologist: Journal of aging and mental health
Generations (Journal of the American Society on Aging)
Journal of American Geriatrics (Social)
Journal of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
Journals of American Gerontology (series a: biological sciences)
Journals of American Gerontology (series b: psychological sciences and social sciences)
The Gerontologist (American Geriatrics Society)
IV. WEBSITES:
American Geriatrics Society (statistics on aging) www.americangeriatrics.org
Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (NIH) www.grc.nia.nih.gov/branches/blsa/blsanew.htm
Medical Matrix/Geriatric Issues http://www.medmatrix.org/_SPages/Geriatrics.asp
Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging/U. Washington http://www.uwaging.org/
National Institutes of Health/Division of Biology of Aging (DBA) www.nia.nih.gov bapquery@nia.nih.gov
Oregon Health & Science Center’s Layton Aging & Alzheimer’s Disease Center http://www.ohsu.edu/research/alzheimers/
SAGE KE, Science Magazine's online “community” for researchers who study aging (archived materials) http://sageke.sciencemag.org/
Stanford University’s Center on Longevity http://longevity.stanford.edu
V. NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONIS/WEB SITES:
AARP
601 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20049
Phone: 1-888-687-2277
www.aarp.org
What can we say about the nation's leading organization for people age 50 and older? Go. Explore. See for yourself. And be sure and check out Best Website for People 50 (more than 500 of the best sites for boomers and older Americans) at www.aarp.org/internetresources
American Society on Aging (ASA)
833 Market Street, Suite 511
San Francisco, California 94103-1824
Phone: (415) 974-9600
Toll Free: 1-800-537-9728
www.asaging.org
This organization represents the largest network of professionals in the field. Journalists covering the “age beat” are ALWAYS welcome to attend annual meetings (without paying the hefty registration fee).
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/default.asp
All you need to know about M & M. However, if you can’t find what you need about Medicare, go to the official Medicare site at: http://medicare.gov.
Extended Care Information Network (ECIN)
8700 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue
Suite 700 N
Chicago, Illinois 60631
Phone:(773) 632-1600
Fax: 773-458-1501
www.extendedcare.com
While this is a privately owned company headquartered in Chicago, it’s geographic reach is HUGE, making it an excellent source for resources on aging, long-term care, health care agencies serving the elderly and background information on senior health issues.
Gerontological Society of America
1220 L Street NW, Suite 901
Washington, D.C. 20005
www.geron.org
A multidisciplinary organization (with a heavy PhD membership) dedicated to the scientific study of aging and to the translation/dissemination of research for practice and policy. As with the American Society on Aging, journalists covering aging are always welcome to attend without paying the registration fee.
National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
1604 N. Country Club Road
Tucson, AZ 85716
Phone: (520) 881-8008
Fax: 9520) 325-7925
www.caremanager.org
This professional organization (made up mostly of social workers) is an EXCELLENT source for info on geriatric care/eldercare issues and age-related trends.
National Caucus and Center on Black Aged
1220 L Street
Suite 800
Washington DC 20005
(202) 637-8400
FAX: (202) 347-0895
www.ncba-aged.org
And EXCELLENT source for information on aging issues affecting African-Americans (and other minorities). It publishes two info-dense quarterly newsletters, the COBAS Newsletter and Golden Age.
National Center on Women and Aging
Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Brandeis University
MS 035
Waltham, MA 02454
Phone: 1-781-736-3826
or 1-781-736-3863
Since women live longer, aging is a major women’s issue and the Center can provide you with good background info and resources on a variety of issues affecting women, including financial security, health, long term care and end of life issues. It publishes 6 issues a year of "The Women & Aging Letter" for a modest subscription price. If you are covering women’s issues it’s worth every penny.
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
http://www.ncpssm.org
The name says it all.
National Council on Aging (NCOA)
1901 L Street NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 479-1200
FAX: (202) 479-0735
www.ncoa.org
This multi-organizational (semi-government) agency is the best one-stop-shopping center for aging issues. If they can’t answer your question, they know who can. Call Communications Director Scott Parkin to get you started (202-479-6975) And check NCOA’s Benefits Checkup site (www.benefitscheckup.org) for information on “what’s out there” for older adults.
Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov
Nuff said.
Spry Foundation
3916 Rosemary Street
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: 1-301-656-3405
Fax: 1-301-656-6221
www.spry.org
SPRY is a non-profit/non-partisan foundation dedicated to helping older adults plan for a healthy and financially secure future. A thought leader in aging, SPRY works with top organizations in the field of aging; disseminates information to consumers worldwide; and conducts applied research that has national implications for older adults and their families. This site also has good links to health resources for seniors. (Another personal favorite.)
U.S. Department of Health/Administration on Aging
One Massachusetts Ave.
Suite 4100 and 5100
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: (202) 619-0724
FAX: (202) 260-1012
www.aoa.gov
Information and links to information on every imaginable resource for older adults. In addition, this site has a national Eldercare Locator (also available by calling 800-677-1116), which can put you in touch with people who
Some of the above information is used with permission of the Cuyahoga County Department of Senior and Adult Services
VI. Research Related “insights” (and story ideas)
The Institute for Optimal Aging (www.optimalaging.com) is a nonprofit doing research, programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing the wellness of older adults. The Institute did a “mapping process” to rate and rank the issues older adults felt were important for (1) optimal aging and (2) to guide the direction of research into healthy aging.
Here are the top-rated/listed issues:
1. Brain fitness (the University of South Florida is doing Institute-affiliated research – on computer assisted programs vs. traditional pastimes, such as crossword puzzles, playing bridge, etc. – on this topic).
2. Family caregivers/caregiving and the ability of and degree to which family members can/should become involved in caregiving.
3. The need for affordable assisted living options (another research project in which the University of South Florida is doing research).
4. The need for older adults to understand health care issues and options that become increasingly complex over time.
5. Depression in the elderly. This may be the fastest growing mental health issue in the US.
6. Medications and the special issues older adults – who are often taking multiple medications – face.
7. Fall prevention and the need for older adults with balance and/or gait problems to participate in exercise programs that help them maintain strength, balance and flexibility.
VII. And finally, an on-line excerpt from Gulliver’s Travels (Part III, Chapter X) on the false promise and inherent perils of being born afflicted with, as author/satirist Jonathan Swift put it, “the universal calamity of human nature that is immortality.” www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext97/gltrv10h.htm.
