Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICS) (P30)

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The focus of the Arkansas Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) at UAMS will be "Therapeutic Nutrition in Aging and/or Age-Related Chronic Disease";firstly, the projects will investigate the mechanisms via which an age-associated decrease in nutritional reserve can impact the functional status and ultimately the independence of elderiy people. Secondly, the projects will test the effect of therapeutic nutritional interventions in the elderiy with age-related chronic disease, such as congestive heart failure, end stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer, which are the major and by far among the most common causes of physical debility and frailty in the geriatric population. In addition to nutrition's role in maintaining functional independence, nutrition also plays a critical, often underappreciated, role in regulating cellular metabolism and host defense. Alterations occur in the skeletal muscle in aging and chronic disease which reduce muscle mass, increase lipid infiltration and by altering glucose metabolism, predispose to type-2 diabetes. Hence, the value of therapeutic nutrition in the geriatric population lies not only in limiting physiological age-associated loss in muscle function, but also in preventing the overall weakness that develops secondary to chronic illness and results in falls, depression, inactivity, deconditioning, type 2 diabetes, reduced immunity to infections and a spiraling downhill course. The Arkansas OAIC will take advantage of the breadth of research in aging by providing much-needed core facilities to stimulate more collaborative research across campus to address fundamental issues related to loss of nutritional reserve, chronic age-related disease with failure of organ systems and decreased functional independence in the elderiy. A novel feature of UAMS graduate school is the interdisciplinary program in biomedical sciences (IBS) with a newly developed Aging track, which highlights the interest and commitment of the faculty towards aging research. In addition to clinician scientists with geriatric fellowship training, the OAIC will have available a pool of students and junior researchers from the IBS program as well as competitive talented junior faculty to choose from for career development. The OAIC will also increase opportunities to recruit external investigators, and promote interest in aging research by non-geriatric departmental faculty, all of which are critical to extending research efforts in geriatrics and aging more broadly across the UAMS campus and around the state of Arkansas.