Sunday December 6th: 2020 3:30 – 5:30 pm
Although aging itself is not a disease, it is a major risk factor for chronic diseases and conditions. For years, researchers have sought to determine how the aging process affects the disease process, and vice versa. Generally, the approach was to investigate mechanisms that contribute to the aging process, with little focus on the effects of the aging process on various diseases. Geroscience seeks to understand how aging processes, including genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms, enable diseases and to exploit that knowledge to slow the onset and progression of age-related diseases. What makes aging a major risk factor and driver of common chronic conditions and diseases of older people?
This session will be co-chaired by Dr. Alexander Fleming, Founder and Executive Chairman of Kinexum, in Harpers Ferry, WV, USA, and Prof. Andrea Maier, Divisional Director of Medicine and Community Care at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and a Professorial Fellow of Aged Care at the University of Melbourne, in Melbourne, Australia.
Aging is a universal condition (perhaps, a more widespread pandemic than COVID-19); however, many people may not be very familiar with geroscience, and this session seeks to change that. The “geroscience hypothesis” suggests that because aging underlies so many diseases, interventions that would slow aging should simultaneously prevent or delay the onset of many chronic diseases. With age a major risk factor for CV diseases, especially heart failure, there is a lot of interest in, and some success with this strategy at delaying cardiovascular diseases. In 2012, the NIH established the Trans-NIH Geroscience Interest Group (GSIG), and Dr. Luigi Ferrucci from the NIH, USA will present an overview of the gero-interventions pipeline. Speakers will debate whether geroscience is really ready for a clinical trial, and whether increasing healthspan is an actionable target. We will also discuss the feasibility of a healthspan composite primary endpoint from statistical and regulatory points of view. Additional speakers include: Majd AlGhatrif (Baltimore, USA), David Sinclair (Boston, USA), Nir Barzilai (New York, USA), and Stephen Kritchevsky (Winston-Salem, USA).
Don’t miss weighing in at the moderated multi-stakeholder expert panel live debate, titled: “Might Increasing Healthspan Become an Approvable Indication?”
Comments