AFAR grantees probe a wide range of illnesses and issues from Alzheimer disease to osteoporosis, from heart disease to glaucoma, from the processes of cell death to cancer. All of this work is critical to developing the knowledge necessary to prevent and treat disease with the goal of keeping healthier as we age. The number of people over 65 will double by the year 2030. The economic shock waves will be just as dramatic. The aging of our population and the sheer number of older adults will pose a serious threat to our economic vitality and require the nation's close attention.
Many people remain vigorous, creative, and productive in their later years.
Research that is directed and supported properly can provide the means to reduce disability and dependence in old age and can decrease the burdens on a health-care system strained to its limits. Already, aging research is providing hope. While there is not yet a cure for Alzheimer's, drugs under development suggest that we may soon have interventions that slow its progression. Beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and cholesterol lowering drugs along with new knowledge about diet and lifestyle have already reduced the incidence of and mortality associated with heart disease. Drug and other therapies are reducing the rate of osteoporosis and heart disease in older women.