NIA Demography Centers
Conducting new research and training in aging
The case for more diversity in studies of genetic association with disease
Sarah A. Tishkoff (U Penn) et al. argue for the need to have more diverse populations in studies of genetic association with disease. Most studies of this type have focused on Europeans, they said, adding that "this European bias has important implications for risk prediction of diseases across global populations."
Is a healthy social life a healthier life in general?
Lisa Berkman (Harvard) examines ties between an individual's social connections and their health and longevity, noting comparisons of social social isolation and other major mortality risk factors, like smoking. Also, eating together with people in your social circles can have its benefits, said Berkman.
Maestas and Grabowski find Simpler Plan Finder may help Medicare Part D consumers cut costs
Brian E. McGarry, Nicole Maestas, and David C. Grabowski concluded, in an article published in the journal Health Affairs, found that inefficiencies in an internet-based Medicare tool called "The Plan Finder" used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help beneficiaries identify a preferred plan, may be resulting in consumers not choosing the lowest cost plans that fit their needs.
World's largest collection of publicly available research data on aging
The National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging, funded by the NIA and housed at Michigan, acquires and disseminates datasets relevant to gerontological research - processing these data as needed to promote their effective research use. With thousands of datasets, NACDA offers rich opportunities for secondary analyses of data addressing a wide scope of issues on aging.
FEM: Modeling trends in the demographics and economics of aging
The pioneering Future Elderly Model (FEM) allows microsimulation of future trends in the health, functional status, health spending, and earnings for people over age 50. Led by USC, the NIA-supported FEM has collaborators at Harvard, Stanford, RAND, Michigan, and Penn, and has been adapted for use in countries across the globe.
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Mara Mather (USC/UCLA) et al. find older adults less distracted by negative information.
Mark D. Peterson on increased risk of mental health conditions for adults with cerebral palsy.
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About the Centers
The 11 NIA-funded Centers on the Demography and Economics of Aging foster research initiatives through funding pilot projects, developing and promoting new data resources, and supporting research networks, scholarly activities and events, and the recruitment of new researchers to the field of aging. MORE...
