Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry Program

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Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry Program
National Institute on Aging, National Institutes
of Health, USA
http//www.nih.gov./nia http//www.nih.gov/nia/res
earch/intramural/
Richard Havlik, M.D., M.P.H. Associate Director
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Learning Objectives

• To become familiar with the epidemiology programs
  of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)
• To understand the investigations being conducted
  by the Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry
  (EDBP) Program, part of the Intramural Research
  Program, (NIA)
• To be aware of data resources available for the
  study of the epidemiology of aging and
  age-associated diseases

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Performance Objectives

• Monitor appropriately and update knowledge
  regularly concerning epidemiology programs at the
  NIA
• Become more knowledgeable about the epidemiology
  of aging and age-associated diseases by accessing
  information from the EDB Program, NIA
• Begin to access data sets available at the
  National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging
  and use for relevant epidemiologic analyses

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National Institute???? on Aging
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(No Transcript)
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Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry (EDB)
Program Primary Mission

• To conduct research on aging and age-associated
  diseases and conditions using population-based
  epidemiologic and biometric methods

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EDP Program Part 1

• Epidemiology, and Demography Office
• Chronic Diseases
• Aging Processes
• Environmental, Social, and Behavioral Factors

• Neuroepidemiology of Aging Office
• Dementing Processes
• Risk Factors for Dementia
• Other Neuropsychiatric Diseases

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EDB Program Part 2

• Biometry Office
• Methods
• Statistics
• Data Management

• Geriatric Epidemiology Office
• Gerontological Issues
• Biomedical and Comorbidity Factors
• Genetic and Metabolic Factors

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Utility of EDB Program Studies

• Elucidate the etiology of diseases by combining
  epidemiologic data with information from other
  disciplines.

• Evaluate the consistency of epidemiologic data
  with etiologic hypotheses developed either
  clinically or experimentally.

• Provide the basis for developing and evaluating
  preventive new procedures and public health
  practices.

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Key Guiding Research Principles
Studies should

• Be platforms for hypothesis driven research
• Be population based to minimize bias and maximize
  relevance
• Be longitudinal in nature to minimize
  cross-sectional biases
• Address a wide range of psychosocial and
  biomedical issues, including the incorporation of
  emerging biological and genetic opportunities
• Attempt to secure data from earlier in life to
  assess long-term influences
• Take advantage of racial diversity and unique
  populations for investigation
• Include opportunities for addressing very applied
  questions

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EDB Program Targets
Behavior\ Environment
Age-Associated Diseases Conditions
Cognitive Function Dementia
Physical Function Disability
Genetics
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EDB Program Targets of Studies
Physical Function Disability
Cognitive Function Dementia
Genetics/ Poly- morphisms
Behavior/ Environ- ment
Diseases Conditions
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X Primary Focus ? Secondary
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EDB Program Major Studies
1990
2000
2010
1980
1985
1995
2005
EPESE
HAAS
WHAS
VSMA
HEALTH ABC
ACT
AGES - Hawaii (Diabetes)
AGES - Reykjavik (Iceland)
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Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies
of the Elderly (EPESE)
East Boston, 1982-83 Senior Health
Project (N3809)
Iowa 1982 85 Rural Health Study (N3673)
Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry
Program (EDBP) National Institute on Aging (NIA)
New Haven 1982 Yale Health and Aging
Project (N2812)
North Carolina 1986-87 Piedmont Health Survey of
the Elderly (N4163)
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EPESE Study Design
Sample
Total or random samples of community populations
of men and women age 65 and over
Number of Participants at Baseline
14,450
Follow-up
In-home interview 3-year intervals,brief
telephone contact intervening years. Blood work
and performance measures.
(Original sites 1982-83 to 1989) (Duke 1986-87 to
1993) Surveillance with Medicare and National
Death Index
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Womens Health and Aging Study
Focus Causes and Course of Disability

• Screened 5000 for 1002 Disabled Older Women in
  Community
• Assessment of Baseline Disease-Disability
  Associations
• Follow-up for Course and Outcome over 5 years

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Honolulu-Asia Aging Study

• A Study of Dementia in Honolulu Heart Program
  Participants
• 3734 Japanese-American Men Aged 70-90 years
• 25 Years of Prospective Data Available, Focused
  on Cardiovascular Disease and Other Risk Factors
• Completed Dementia Re-examinations at 3, 5 and 7
  Years On-going Examination Cycle
• Coordinate Methods with Studies in Japan, Seattle

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Health, Aging and Body Composition(Health ABC)
Design
Clinical research study
3,075 persons age 70-79
Comparable numbers of women and men
Comparable numbers of whites and African-Americans
Free of ADL disability
Free of functional limitation
Outcome
New onset of functional limitation
Decline in performance, strength and endurance
Follow-up
Seven years with yearly examinations
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Country-to-Country Activities

• Collaboration with
• MRI Study in 10 European Communities (study of
  Cardiovascular Determinants of Dementia-CASCADE)
• Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (dementia in
  Japanese-American men) and with similar studies
  in Seattle, Washington and Hiroshima, Japan
  (Ni-Hon-Sea Study)
• Aging project of the Veneto Region (PROVA Study)
  using protocols similar to those of EDB Program
• Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA) has
  cohort under observation since 1991

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Planned Collaboration with the Iceland Heart
Association - Reykjavik Study
Scientific strategy
Characterize study participants with detailed
phenotypes for
Neurologic diseases (cognition, Alzheimers
and Parkinsons), atherosclerotic status,
diabetes and hyperglycemia, obesity and body
composition, and osteoporosis
Collect DNA and other biologic specimens for
molecular markers
Add unique risk factors to the database
birthweight, childhood weight, and dietary
factors
Test relevant candidate genes for genetic
susceptibility, gene-environment and gene-gene
interaction
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National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging
(NACDA)

• Mission is to advance research on aging by
  helping researchers gain access to archived data
  sets.
• Located at the University of Michigan and is a
  project of the Inter-university Consortium for
  Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
• For further information http//www.icpsr.umich.ed
  u/NACDA