Policy
The needs and consequences of the rapidly aging population continue to dominate health and social policies on the federal level. The Alliance for Aging Research plays a major role in informing and shaping the efforts of policymakers as the debate over these policies takes place. For the past 20 years, the Alliance for Aging Research has been committed to advancing scientific discoveries to improve the experience of aging. The Alliance will continue this mission while also serving as an objective “anti-silo” player in the area of healthy aging research – seeking to clear legislative and regulatory obstacles that impede progress.
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Related Events
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Obesity and Aging
January 13th, 2009, Washington, D.C.
Related Publications
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Brochure, ReportThe Silver Book: Chronic Disease and Medical Innovation--Osteoporosis
The first volume of The Silver Book was launched in 2006 and has quickly become a trusted resource for health policy practitioners. The Silver Book®: Osteoporosis is the latest volume in this important collection. Each section in the volume includes charts, statistics, and key findings that together paint a comprehensive picture of the burden of osteoporosis and the tremendous potential of innovation. Much of the data focuses on the older population—those most at risk for osteoporosis-related fractures. -
Press ReleaseExperts Call for New Research Focus
EXPERTS CALL FOR NEW RESEARCH FOCUS TO SLOW AGING AND EXTEND HEALTHY LIFE
Advances in science predict a ‘longevity dividend’ of economic and social benefits
Washington, DC --- Acknowledging increases in life expectancy and unprecedented aging of populations worldwide, experts from the United States and United Kingdom make the case for a new model of health promotion aimed at slowing aging in humans. Published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ.com), the experts argue that interventions in aging that have worked in animals are now appropriate for disease prevention in humans and call for a well-funded and aggressive research strategy to extend healthy life.
The paper comes on the heels of a report by researchers at the National Institute on Aging in the July 3 issue of Cell Metabolism that the compound resveratrol slows age-related deterioration in mice.
“The risk for many diseases doubles every five to seven years after age 50,” says Daniel Perry, co-author of the BMJ paper and executive director of the Alliance for Aging Research. “Investing in research to slow the rate of aging has the potential to produce far greater social and economic benefits than seeking cures for diseases of aging one at a time.”
According to Perry, a new research focus on aging is a wise investment given the aging of America’s 78 million baby boomers. The Alliance calls it the “Silver Tsunami”—the rising tide of chronic diseases of aging that threatens to engulf American health care in the 21st century. It is estimated that nearly half of all Americans—and 90 percent of those who are age 65—have at least one chronic disease. The average 75-year-old suffers from three chronic health conditions and takes five prescription medications. Just six diseases—heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s—cost the U.S. more than one trillion dollars each year.
To support “a systematic attack on aging” the authors propose a large increase in resources to investigate how diseases such as type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease and most cancers interact with aging or share mechanisms in common with it.
The authors underscore the potential benefits that would accrue from a new focus on slowing aging. An extension of healthy life would produce health, economic and social benefits, collectively referred to as the “longevity dividend.”
In an accompanying article, Canadian professor Colin Farrelly references the Alliance’s September 2006 Capitol Hill symposium, “Going for the Longevity Dividend: Scientific Goals for the World’s Aging Populations” and encourages policymakers to address the important question of slowing aging. He states that “the longevity dividend deserves a prominent place on the policy agenda.”
At the 2006 symposium, the Alliance released a statement signed by some 100 scientists and advocates from 16 nations calling for a greater focus on investment in aging research, because such research has “the potential to do what no surgical procedure, behavior modification or cure for any one major fatal disease can do; namely, extend youthful vigor throughout the lifespan.”
[“New model of health promotion and disease prevention for the 21st century,” BMJ 2008;337:a399, doi: 10.1136/bmj.a399 (Published 8 July 2008): Robert N. Butler, Richard A. Miller, Daniel Perry, Bruce A. Carnes, T. Franklin Williams, Christine Cassel, Jacob Brody, Marie A. Bernard, Linda Partridge, Thomas Kirkwood, George M. Martin, S. Jay Olshansky.]
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Founded in 1986, the Alliance for Aging Research is a nonprofit, independent organization dedicated to improving the health and independence of aging Americans through public and private funding of medical research and geriatric education. The Alliance combines the interest of top scientists, public officials, business executives, and foundation leaders to promote a greater national investment in research and new technologies that will prepare our nation for the coming senior boom, and improve the quality of life for today’s older generation -
Press ReleaseAlliance for Aging Research Recognizes Erik Fatemi
ALLIANCE FOR AGING RESEARCH RECOGNIZES ERIK FATEMI WITH ‘MAKING A DIFFERENCE’ AWARD
Award Honors Legacy of Health Research Advocate Florence S. Mahoney
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The Alliance for Aging Research will honor Erik Fatemi, a staff member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, for his public service and commitment to medical research with its inaugural Florence S. Mahoney Making A Difference Award. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the subcommittee, will participate in the award ceremony and reception to be held this evening at the Reserve Officers Association.
In his seven years of service on the subcommittee, Fatemi’s responsibilities have included the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Department of Education, particularly funding for the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. He also works on policy related to embryonic stem cell research. Previously, Fatemi worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for 12 years, most recently for Education Week, a newspaper covering K-12 education across the United States.
The award remembers Florence Mahoney for her advocacy and dedication to health care policy, especially aging research. She fought relentlessly to establish the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in the early 1970s despite opposition from President Nixon, members of his administration and various interest groups. Mahoney’s efforts were rewarded in 1974 when the NIA was created, launching a new era in aging research.
She also served on a number of boards and committees, including the National Community Committee on Mental Health; the Lasker Foundation; the National Advisory Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases Council; the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council; and the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke.
“We are honored to recognize Erik Fatemi with this award,” said Daniel Perry, executive director of the Alliance. “Erik’s consistent support for medical research has made a difference for many researchers who look to NIH for funding, advocacy groups that strive for innovation, and patients and their families who count on new discoveries to ease their suffering. He exemplifies the values that guided Florence Mahoney, and he is a truly worthy recipient of th is first award named in her honor.”
The reception will bring together leaders in medical research and policy to celebrate Fatemi’s accomplishments and learn about the state of medical science. It will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Reserve Officers Association, 1 Constitution Ave., NE, in Washington, D.C. This event is made possible through a grant from the Florence S. Mahoney Foundation.
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Founded in 1986, the Alliance for Aging Research is a nonprofit, independent organization dedicated to improving the health and independence of aging Americans through public and private funding of medical research and geriatric education. The Alliance combines the interest of top scientists, public officials, business executives, and foundation leaders to promote a greater national investment in research and new technologies that will prepare our nation for the coming senior boom, and improve the quality of life for today’s older generation
