Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging - Time Line

The NIH Record  -- March 1980, Page 1

Senator Mathias Tours Gerontology Research Center Senator Charles McC. Mathias (R.-Md.) recently visited the National Institute on Aging's Gerontology Research Center in Baltimore. Dr. William Reichel, president of the American Geriatric Society, and NIA staff members were his hosts. The Senator and his two aides were briefed by Dr. Richard C. Greulich, NIA scientific director and GRC director, on the valuable role of intramural aging research, with investigators able to take initiatives to tackle questions not addressed by extramural researchers. Senator Mathias (l) tours the Gerontology Research Center with Dr. Greulich. In the background are Dr. Brody and senatorial aide Paula Burke.

For example, before the Institute established its Stress and Coping Section at the center, little had been done to study how people cope with stress and life changes as they age. Now Dr. Greulich explained, Dr. Paul T. Costa and colleagues have developed methods to measure adaptations to life changes by volunteers in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Human Aging.

Dr. Jacob Brody, NIA associate director for Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, discussed the Institute's strong interest in nutrition in the elderly. He said it is taking advantage of the National Center for Health Statistics' Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to learn more about the nutritional patterns and needs of older people.

NIA's interest in the retirement phenomenon was emphasized by Dr. Matilda White Riley, associate director for Social and Behavioral Research. She told the Senator that today's average age of retirement is below 60 years of age. She said that the reasons for this trend need to be investigated, as do the reasons why some people remain quite active after retirement, while others become totally inactive.

Characteristics of the 22-year-old Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Human Aging as well as some of its accomplishments were described by Dr. Jordan Tobin of the center's Clinical Physiology Branch.

During a tour of the center following the staff briefings, Senator Mathias tried his hand at some of the center's tests.

Back to Time Line     BLSA     NIA IRP Home