CCBAR
Newsletter
– October,
2012
Editors:
Natalia
Gavrilova
and
Stacy
Tessler
Lindau
CCBAR
News
- This
month, CCBAR held a dried blood spot collection training for a new
population-based biosocial study being launched this quarter on Chicago’s
South Side. The training included university students, South Side
community members, and university researchers – many of whom will serve
as the study’s interviewers. In addition to gaining
competency in the dried blood spot collection technique, CCBAR members
and trainees will donate about 40 dried blood specimens to the University
of Washington
to assist in testing a new dried blood spot collection
device.
Brigid
Adviento and Dana Nickson participate in the DBS
collection training session.
- Natalia
Gavrilova had her study on early-life conditions and longevity featured
in The NIH Record (October 26, 2012 issue):
http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2012/10_26_2012/story7.htm
News
from
the NEJM, Nature Journals, Science, BMJ, PNAS, Lancet and JAMA
Stress
and the city: Urban decay
Scientists are testing the idea that the stress of
modern city life is a breeding ground for psychosis.
Economics
and genetics meet in uneasy union
Use of population-genetic data to predict economic
success sparks war of words.
Stress
and the brain: Under pressure
A special section of Nature traces the emerging links between stress
and mental illness.
Telomeres
and adversity: Too toxic to ignore
A stark warning about the societal costs of stress
comes from links
between shortened telomeres, chronic stress and disease, say Elizabeth
H. Blackburn and Elissa S. Epel.
Genetics:
The inner life of proteins
A quantitative analysis shows that epistasis - the
fact that genetic
background determines whether a mutation is beneficial, deleterious or
inconsequential - is the main factor regulating evolution at the level
of proteins
Epistasis
as the primary factor in molecular evolution
The main forces directing long-term molecular
evolution remain obscure.
A sizable fraction of amino-acid substitutions seem to be fixed by
positive selection, but it is unclear to what degree long-term protein
evolution is constrained by epistasis, that is, instances when
substitutions that are acce...
Older
males beget more mutations
Three papers characterizing human germline mutation
rates bolster
evidence for a relatively low rate of base substitution in modern
humans and highlight a central role for paternal age in determining
rates of mutation. These studies represent the advent of a
transformation in our understanding of mu...
Neurobiology
of resilience
The authors review our understanding of the
biological basis of
resilience to stress. The review examines findings from both humans and
animals and also discusses how this knowledge can help guide treatment
for stress-related disorders.
Third
universal definition of myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction is a major cause of morbidity
and mortality
worldwide. In this consensus document, experts from the ESC, ACCF, AHA,
and WHF update the universal definition and classification of
myocardial infarction to integrate the latest evidence on the detection
of myocardial injury and nec...
[Commentary]
Revolution Stalled
Drug discovery is at a near standstill for treating psychiatric
disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and
common forms of autism. Despite high prevalence and unmet medical need,
major pharmaceutical companies are deemphasizing or exiting psychiatry,
thus removing significant...
Biomarkers:
Identifying silent heart disease
Cardiovascular disease and cancer are major
contributors to mortality.
Screening programs have been implemented for the early identification
of cancers; researchers now propose a similar strategy to identify
preclinical, silent heart disease. Our plan was to develop the
idea
that a biomarker like B...
Biomarkers:
Pros and cons of high-sensitivity assays for cardiac troponin
A 3-h algorithm using high-sensitivity assays for
cardiac troponin to
rule out myocardial infarction (MI) is recommended in current ESC
guidelines. Whether faster rule-out algorithms can discriminate between
MI and other conditions that elevate the troponin level, or be safely
implemented across the...
Ambiguity
tolerance and risk-taking in adolescents [Economic Sciences]
Adolescents engage in a wide range of risky
behaviors that their older
peers shun, and at an enormous cost. Despite being older, stronger, and
healthier than children, adolescents face twice the risk of mortality
and morbidity faced by their younger peers. Are adolescents really
risk-seekers or does...
Baboon
personalities and fitness [Evolution]
Studies of personality in nonhuman primates have
usually relied on
assessments by humans and seldom considered the function of the
resulting ?trait? classifications. In contrast, we applied exploratory
principal component analysis to seven behaviors among 45 wild female
baboons over 7 y to determine...
Family
Matters in Health Care Delivery
The
relevance of family, broadly defined
as encompassing blood relatives as well as trusted friends and
partners, influences health and health care across the life span. The
considerable economic value conferred by families to patients and the
health system is also widely acknowledged. According to ...
Trends
in Lipids and Lipoproteins in US Adults, 1988-2010 Trends in Lipids
an...
ContextSerum
total cholesterol (TC) and
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) contribute to
atherosclerosis and its clinical consequences. Between the periods
1988-1994 and 1999-2002, mean TC and mean LDL-C declined in adults.
During this time, there was an increase in the percentage of adults...
QuickStats:
FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS Prevalence of Hype...
Biomarkers
and
Aging
in
the
News
Media
• Women
who give up smoking extend lives by 10 years
A new study of over a million women reports smokers more than triple
their risk of dying early compared with nonsmokers, and that kicking
the habit can virtually eliminate this increased risk of premature
death.
•
Four
keys to healthy aging
Everyone knows eating right, exercising, and shunning smoking and other
bad habits increases our chances of having a long and healthy life. If
you're only hitting some of these goals, you're likely missing out on
the full benefits that come with living a healthy lifestyle across the
board, a new study shows.
• Hormone
therapy may help cut Alzheimer's risk
The latest data from a long-running study of hormone therapy suggests
women who started taking hormone replacements within five years of
menopause were 30 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease
than women who started years later.
• USPSTF:
Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy Do Not Outweigh Risks
The panel said that hormone replacement therapy could elevate the risk
of certain health conditions, like strokes.
• Hormone
Therapy May Benefit Some Women's Hearts
Hormone replacement therapy may do more than ease hot flashes and mood
swings. A new study suggests that women who start taking hormones
during menopause might get some protection against heart disease
without seeing increases in other serious risks.
• Hormone
Test May Predict Breast Cancer Risk 20 Years in Advance
Researchers have found that a simple blood test may predict a
postmenopausal woman's chance of developing breast cancer over the
course of her lifetime - and the test stays accurate for 20 years.
• Study
Questions the Value of Annual Physical Exams
Regular physical exams are annual rituals for many Americans. Now a new
research review finds no evidence that these kinds of checkups help
people live longer, or cut the risk of dying of cancer or heart disease.
• Exercise
Protects Aging Brains Better
Staying mentally sharp as you age may have more to do with working out
than working on crossword puzzles, new research suggests.
• Lifting
weights protects against metabolic syndrome, study suggests
People who lift weights are less likely to have metabolic syndrome -- a
cluster of risk factors linked to heart disease and diabetes, reports a
new study.
• Fast
Walking May Slash at Heart Disease, Diabetes
Fast walking, jogging, and other forms of more vigorous exercise may
slash your risk for heart disease and diabetes, new research suggests.
• Sitting
for Prolonged Periods Ups Risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease, Death by ...
The researchers also found that the risk was not entirely offset by
exercise.
• Infertility
Treatment May Raise Birth Defect Risk
Babies conceived with the help of high-tech fertility treatments such
as in vitro fertilization (IVF) have an increased risk for birth
defects, a new study shows.
• Risk
factors predict childhood obesity, researchers find
High birth weight, rapid weight gain and having an overweight mother
who smokes can all increase the risk of a baby becoming obese later in
childhood, research by experts has found.
• U.S.
Boys Hitting Puberty Sooner
American boys appear to be maturing sexually at a younger age, a study
found
• Neurotransmitters
linked to mating behavior are shared by mammals and worms
When it comes to sex, animals of all shapes and sizes tend behave in
predictable ways. There may be a chemical reason for that. New research
has shown that chemicals in the brain -- neuropeptides known as
vasopressin and oxytocin -- play a role in coordinating mating and
reproductive behavior in animals ranging from humans to fish to
invertebrates.
• Eye
movements and the search for biomarkers for schizophrenia
There is a long history of research on impaired eye movements
associated with schizophrenia. Using a series of simple viewing tests,
researchers explored the ability of these eye movement tests to
distinguish people with and without the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Using their complete dataset, they were able to develop a model that
could discriminate all schizophrenia cases from healthy control
subjects with an impressive 98.3% accuracy.
• Are
schizophrenia and autism close relations?
Medical researchers studied extensive genetic databases to discover
that autism and schizophrenia had a genetic link, representing a
heightened risk within families. People who have a schizophrenic
sibling were 12 times more likely to have autism than those with no
schizophrenia in the family.
• Early
autism intervention improves brain responses to social cues
An autism intervention program that emphasizes social interactions and
is designed for children as young as 12 months has been found to
improve cognitive skills and brain responses to faces, considered a
building block for social skills. The researchers say that the study is
the first to demonstrate that an intensive behavioral intervention can
change brain function in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders.
• Drinking
Just One Soda a Day Could Up Stroke Risk by up to 80 Percent
A new study has found that a daily soft drink can increase risk for
stroke by up to 80 percent.
• Grandmas
Helped Humans Evolve Longer Lifespans
Grandmas may be the reason why humans live longer than apes, a new
study suggests.
• Daily
Multivitamins Cut Cancer Risk in Men, First Study of Its Kind Finds
Taking a daily multivitamin pill may reduce the risk of cancer in men,
a new study revealed.
• Vital
Signs: Regimens: Study Questions Benefit of Extra Vitamin D
The supplements have no effect on the most common blood markers for
cardiovascular risk and death, a randomized trial indicates.
• Night
Shift Work Triples the Risk of Prostate Cancer in Men
Working night shifts raises the risk of men developing prostate cancer
by almost three times compared to working only day shifts.
• Humans'
Risk for Cancer May Be a Result of Our Large Brains
What's the opposite of a silver lining?
• Strokes
Striking Younger People
People are having strokes at younger ages, according to new research.
• Antidepressants
May Increase Your Risk of Stroke
Antidepressants may treat your depression, but new research suggests
they may also increase the risk of certain types of strokes.
• Tomatoes
May Lower Your Risk for Stroke
Men who eat lots of tomatoes and other tomato-based products may be at
a lower risk for stroke, a new study suggests.
• Muslims
Least Likely to Engage in Premarital and Extramarital Sex, Study Sugg...
Muslims are least likely to have sex outside of marriage, according to
a new study that compared the sexual behaviors of all the major
religious groups in the world.
• Science
Proves Men and Women React Differently to Stress in a Relationship
Men and women not only see things differently, but also their reaction
to conflict in a relationship differs.
• Father-Child
Relationship Can Heavily Influence an Adolescent's Sexual Behavior
Researchers from New York University have found a correlation between
father's influence and children's risky sexual behavior.
• Is
Testosterone the New Truth Serum? Male Sex Hormone Found to Promote
Honest...
Testosterone, the male sex hormone previously linked to aggression and
criminality, may actually foster pro-social behaviors by increasing
honesty in men.
• Modern
humans found to be fittest ever at survival, by far
Humans have done more to extend our life expectancy in the last century
than during the previous 6.6 million years, since the evolutionary
divergence from chimpanzees. Modern
humans have gotten incomparably good at survival, doing more to extend
our lives over the last century than our forebears did in the previous
6.6 million years since we parted evolutionary ways with chimpanzees,
according to a new study.
NIH
Press
Releases
NIH
videos demonstrate behavior's role in personal health
The National Institutes of Health's Office of Behavioral and Social
Sciences Research (OBSSR), today released four videos highlighting
outstanding behavioral and social science research on mindless eating,
risk-taking, diabetes management, and the evolution of skin
pigmentation.
Weight
loss does not lower heart disease risk from type 2 diabetes
An intensive diet and exercise program resulting in weight loss does
not reduce cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in
people with longstanding type 2 diabetes, according to a study
supported by the National Institutes of Health.
"Biggest
Loser" study finds modest diet and exercise can sustain weight loss
Exercise and healthy eating reduce body fat and preserve muscle in
adults better than diet alone, according to a study funded and
conducted by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study
was recently published online in Obesity and will be in a future print
edition.
NIH-funded
study to test pneumococcal vaccine in older adults
Researchers plan to see if a higher dose of a pneumococcal vaccine will
create a stronger immune response in older adults who received an
earlier generation vaccine against pneumonia and other pneumococcal
diseases.
NIH
launches free database of drugs associated with liver injury
A free source of evidence-based information for health care
professionals and for researchers studying liver injury associated with
prescription and over-the-counter drugs, herbals, and dietary
supplements is now available from the National Institutes of Health.
Researchers and health care professionals can use the LiverTox database
to identify basic and clinical research questions to be answered and to
chart optimal ways to diagnose and control drug-induced liver injury.
NIH
Announcements
Secondary
Analyses and Archiving of Social and Behavioral Datasets in Aging
(R03)
Funding Number: RFA-AG-13-009
Expiration Date: February 15, 2013
Basic
social and behavioral research on culture, health, and wellbeing
(R24)
Funding Number: RFA-LM-12-002
Expiration Date: December 18, 2012
Time-Sensitive
Obesity Policy and Program Evaluation (R01)
Expiration Date: September 11, 2015
Estimating
the Economic Costs of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
(R03)
Expiration Date: September 8, 2015
Estimating
the Economic Costs of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
(R21)
Expiration Date: September 8, 2015
Estimating
the Economic Costs of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
(R01)
Expiration Date: September 8, 2015
PAR-12-186 DBSR
Macroeconomic Aspects of Population Aging (R01)
Expiration
date:
10/04/2014
Secondary
Analyses
in Obesity, Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R21)
Funding Number: PA-12-125
Expiration Date: May 8, 2015
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R21),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-079
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R03),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-080
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Biodemography
of
Aging
(R01),
Funding
Number:
PAR-12-078
Expiration Date: March 4, 2014
Events:
Announcements:
NIH
Videocasts:
Trends in 21st Century
Epidemiology: From Scientific Discoveries to Population Health Impact
(Days 1-2)
Air date (Day
1): Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 1:00:00 PM
Air date (Day
2): Thursday, December 13, 2012, 8:00:00 AM
Time displayed is Eastern Time, Washington DC Local
Description: In this workshop, researchers and thought
leaders will present their perspectives on major facets of the
epidemiologic enterprise.
Conferences:
Gerontological
Society
of
America's
65th
Annual
Scientific
Meeting, November 14-18, 2012, San Diego, CA.
Abstracts
Deadline:
March
15,
2012
Population Association of America Annual
meeting, New Orleans, LA.
The 2013 Annual Meeting will be held April 11-13 at the Sheraton New
Orleans Hotel
Abstract deadline:
September 21, 2012
The 25th REVES
meeting on health expectancy
The University of Texas at Austin (TX), May 27-29, 2013
Abstract submission deadline: February 15, 2013
The 20th
IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, June
23-27, 2013, Seoul, Korea
Abstract deadline: October 31, 2012
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This
Newsletter is supported by a grant from the National
Institute on
Aging, National Institutes of Health (Grant No. 5 P30 AG012857)
If you would like to unsubscribe please notify us at ngavrilova@babies.bsd.uchicago.edu