Workshop Report
Aging—From molecules to populations☆

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2008.08.002Get rights and content

Abstract

The mean age of the human population is steadily increasing in many areas around the globe, a phenomenon with large social, political, economic and biological/medical implications. Inevitably, this phenomenon is stimulating great interest in understanding and potentially modulating the process of human aging. To foster interactions and collaboration between diverse scientists interested in the biochemical, physiological, epidemiological and psychosocial aspects of aging, The University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences recently organized and co-sponsored a workshop entitled Aging—From Molecules to Populations. The following questions about human aging were discussed at the workshop: What is the limit of human life expectancy? What are the key indicators of human aging? What are the key drivers of human aging? Which genes have the greatest impact on human aging? How similar is aging-related cognitive decline to pathological cognitive decline associated with neurological disease? Are human progeriod diseases, characterized by premature aging, good models for “normal” human aging? Is delayed or “elite” aging informative about “normal” human aging? To what extent and by what mechanisms do early life environmental factors influence aging-associated physical and cognitive decline? To what extent and by what mechanism does the social environment influence life course outcomes? What physiological factors underlie the timing and extent of aging-associated physical and cognitive decline? How do cultural stereotypes and perceptions of aging influence the process and experience of aging? One of the primary outcomes of the workshop was a recognition that cross-disciplinary studies and “out-of-the-box” approaches, especially those that adopt an integrated life course perspective on human health status, are needed to expedite advances in aging research. This and other outcomes of the workshop are summarized and discussed in this report.

Section snippets

Overview

The mean age of the human population is steadily increasing in many areas around the globe, a phenomenon with large social, political, economic and biological/medical implications. Inevitably, this phenomenon is stimulating great interest in understanding and potentially modulating the process of human aging. As a consequence, aging research has become a major focus of a large number of biomedical and social scientists in universities and institutes in countries that are affected by this trend.

Featured presentations

Chronic diseases with focus on inflammation and the role of exercise

Bente Klarlund Pedersen, University of Copenhagen

Bente Klarlund (University of Copenhagen) tested the hypothesis that exercise directly alters energy and fat metabolism. The results of her study provide a possible explanation for the positive health benefits of an active lifestyle and the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle. The hypothesis was tested by carrying out a unique intervention, in which a 14-day period

List of senior participants

Kaarin Anstey, Hiroko Akiyama, Kirsten Avlund, Vilhelm Bohr, Helle Bruunsgaard, Kirsten Caesar, Kåre Christensen, Ellen Garde, Tina Gottlieb, Barry Halliwell, Rebecca Hardy, Boo Johansson, Michael Kjær, Bente Klarlund, Hans Krokan, Martin Lauritzen, Becca Levy, Rikke Lund, George M. Martin, David Melzer, Erik Lykke Mortensen, Thomas Nyström, Merete Osler, Ole Petter Ottersen, Taina Rantanen, Marcus Richards, Miriam Sander, Tinna Stevnsner, Jan Vijg, Rudi Westendorp, Ulla Wewer.

References (16)

  • K.J. Anstey et al.

    Cholesterol as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline: a systematic review of prospective studies with meta-analysis

    Am. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry

    (2008)
  • K.J. Anstey et al.

    Smoking as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of prospective studies

    Am. J. Epidemiol.

    (2007)
  • R. Bahar et al.

    Increased cell-to-cell variation in gene expression in ageing mouse heart

    Nature

    (2006)
  • J.E. Birren et al.

    Research on the psychology of aging: principles, concepts, and theory

  • U. Christensen et al.

    Cynical hostility, socioeconomic position, health behaviours and symptom load: a cross-sectional analysis in a Danish population-based study

    Psychosom. Med.

    (2004)
  • N. Erjavec et al.

    Accelerated aging and failure to segregate damaged proteins in Sir2 mutants can be suppressed by overproducing the protein aggregation-remodeling factor Hsp104p

    Genes Dev.

    (2007)
  • B. Halliwell

    Proteasomal dysfunction: a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases? Implications for the environmental origins of neurodegeneration

    Antioxid. Redox Signal.

    (2006)
  • D. Kuh

    The New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) Preparatory Network. A life course approach to healthy aging, frailty and capability

    J. Gerontol. Med. Sci.

    (2007)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

☆

The Workshop, Aging–From Molecules to Populations 12–14 May, 2008 at Hotel Marienlyst, Elsinore, Denmark, was organized by The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen in conjunction with the International Alliance of Research Universities and was sponsored by University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus and the Danish Aging Research Center. The Workshop Steering Committee included Ulla Wewer, Dean at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Vilhelm Bohr, National Institute on Aging, NIH, USA, Kirsten Avlund, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Martin Lauritzen, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Tinna Stevnser, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus and Tina Gottlieb, Faculty Secretariat, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Kirsten Avlund and Vilhelm Bohr were Co-Chairs of the Workshop.

View full text
Copyright © 2008 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.