According to the United States census bureau, there are currently around 47,8 million people age 65 and older, which accounts for around 15 % of the total population and is rapidly growing. Therefore, it is important to take a deeper look into healthy aging and what researchers are currently working on to improve stronger aging and better well-being. The National Institute of Aging (NIA) has been working on improving the health and well-being of Americans since 1974 through biomedical, social, and behavioral research. Today, we will take a look into the different research the NIA is conducting and what this means for the future.
What does the National Institute of Ageing do?
NAI’s mission is to conduct and support research on aging through extramural and intramural programs focusing on aging processes, age-related diseases, and problems associated with aging. This includes the funding of different research at universities, hospitals, and medical centers across the country as well as running their own clinical research trials on two different locations in the United States. In addition, the NIA also has a broad information program to communicate about research and health with older people, their families, health professionals, and other researchers.
Current Clinical Trials for healthy aging by the NAI
Resveratrol and Cardiovascular Health in Elderly
There is currently an ongoing clinical trial until 2021 with 300 healthy volunteers that are the age of 50 and over. The trial is aiming to test the effects of different dose levels of Resveratrol on heart and blood vessel health. Resveratrol is a compound that can be found in the skin of red grapes and is being tested if it may have a positive effect on human health, as it may lower blood sugar, improve heart and blood vessel health, and even prevent cancer.
Current study on skin cells that have stopped replicating during wound healing
Another ongoing clinical trial with 250 participating is researching how cells in the body are responding to small skin wounds. The age groups here are between 20 - 39, but special focus is also given to elderly participants age 70 and over. It is currently investigated, how cellular senescence, the aging of cells, may be connected with aging and age-related diseases and whether these cells appear around a wound after skin injury and if this is related to age.
Intermittent calorie restriction, insulin resistance, and biomarker of brain function
A current research study focusing on 150 women ages 50 to 70 with insulin resistance has made it its goal to test and compare two forms of diet and their effects on insulin resistance and the brain. As insulin is removing sugar from the blood used for energy, people living with insulin resistance may have cells that are not responding to insulin in a normal manner, which can lead to serious diseases. In this clinical trial, researchers want to find out how diet affects insulin resistance, weight, and brain chemicals related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Making a difference for medical innovation
Now more than ever, we see how essential clinical research is in order to drive clinical innovation and to save the lives of millions of people. Do you want to be part of medical history and make a difference for your community? Clinical trials need volunteers in order to test new treatments effectively and bring them to the mass market. If you want to learn more about clinical trials, the benefits, and risks and see if this would be something for you, please visit our clinical trial education website here.