“Forever young” is still science fiction, but
researchers are introducing a different, more feasible alternative:
forever healthy.
“Because of advances in medical technique, people are
living longer,” said Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA
Center on Aging.
“The problem is, they’re not always living
better.”
Opened in 1991, the Center on Aging has been named by U.S. News
and World Report as the No. 1 program in geriatrics ““ the
study of the aging process ““ for 11 consecutive years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of
senior citizens in the United States is expected to double by
2030.
The Center focuses primarily on research and education through
programs that support research by faculty and professors on any
biological or social aspect of aging.
For example, the Senior Scholar’s Program allows people 50
years and older to audit regular session undergraduate courses.
This program encourages older citizens to interact with college
undergraduates while receiving a UCLA education without
prerequisites, papers or exams.
The Center also conducts research in various aspects of
geriatrics including memory retainment and the development of
Alzheimer’s disease in old age.
Affecting four million Americans, Alzheimer’s is a
progressive, degenerative brain disease characterized by confusion,
forgetfulness and personality or behavioral changes. The number of
people afflicted is expected to rise with the increasing senior
population.
UCLA researchers, led by Assistant Professor of pharmacology Dan
Silverman, found in 2001 that Positron Emission Tomography scans of
the brain can provide early identification of the disease 95
percent of the time.
Currently, no single diagnostic test exists for
Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe the disease to be
caused by a combination of lifestyle choices and genetics.
The Center on Aging also offers a lecture series on memory.
Attendees are given recent research techniques for developing and
retaining their memory.
For memory improvement, Small encourages older people to engage
in mental activities such as crossword puzzles. People who complete
college have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s possibly
due to increased intellectual stimulation, Small said.
Other factors can contribute to memory loss.
“Stress is the enemy of memory,” Small said.
When animals are put in a stressful environment, the number of
memory cells in the brain decreases, Small said.
Aside from stress reduction, physical conditioning and a
balanced “brain diet” consisting of fruits and healthy
fats can also help improve and retain memory, Small said.
This June, the Center awarded Colonel Buzz Aldrin, 73, and Dr.
S. Jerome Tamkin, 77, the seventh annual ICON award for their
continued involvement and contribution to society.
Aldrin, who in 1969 was the second man to walk on the moon,
founded a rocket design company and the ShareSpace Foundation, a
nonprofit organization devoted to promoting space tourism.
Tamkin is one of the founders of Drug Abuse Resistance Education
program and does a number of philanthropic activities.
The awards were presented by television personality Art
Linkletter and Director James Cameron.