Topics and goals

Research on aging

In 2007, the European Commission issued a White Paper entitled “Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013” stating that the main objective of European Union was that of  “… fostering good health in an aging Europe.”  In the same document, the European Commission also expressed the need to promote geriatric medicine by devising new research strategies on aging. Furthermore, the “Global Health and Aging” declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) underscored the urgent need to promote aging research by stating that: “A better understanding of the changing relationship between health with age is crucial if we are to create a future that takes full advantage of the powerful resource inherent in older populations. To do so, nations must develop appropriate data systems and research capacity to monitor and understand these patterns and relationships, specifically longitudinal studies that incorporate measures of health, economic status, family, and well-being. And research needs to be better coordinated if we are to discover the most costeffective ways to maintain healthful life styles and everyday functioning in countries at different stages of economic development and with varying resources. Global efforts are required to understand and existing knowledge about the prevention and treatment of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Managing population aging also requires building needed infrastructure and institutions as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the more costly and less effective the solutions are likely to be.”

Research areas

Given the multifaced nature of aging, the AGING Project involves research encompassing four main areas closely intertwined with each other. These are summarized below.

Causes of aging

To understand why aging occurs, we are conducting a wide range of studies aimed to identify the biological and pathophysiological determinants of the aging process. For example, the molecular mechanisms triggering sarcopenia and frailty in the elderly are still poorly understood. In addition, the biological and environmental factors associated with brain aging in healthy subjects or patients with neurodegenerative diseases are yet to be determined.
The characterization of the mechanism regulating the aging process would not be sufficiently informative unless it is accompanied by studies directed toward understanding why some people age in a healthy way while others do not. This particularly challenging line of research also includes the analysis of individual and social factors associated with healthy aging.

Aging-related diseases

What are the causes of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among aging individuals? Why do certain diseases mainly affect the elderly? How can we prevent their onset or slow down their progression? These are the fundamental research questions that we must answer before we can prodive guidelines for healthy aging. For instance, aging is regarded as the most critical risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, aging increases the prevalence of cancer and autoimmune diseases associated with stem cell aging, hormonal alterations and aberrant functioning of the immune system.

The burden of aging with disability

Another important line of research of the AGING Project focuses on the socio-economic impact on society of an aging population. Our central hypotesis is that we can reduce the burden of aging exacerbated by the presence of disabilities by promoting healthy aging through prevention strategies and lifestyle medicine. This research area involves projects aimed to develop and probe interventions for the prevention and mitigation of age-related diseases and chronic conditions. We are also planning to assess the impact of these interventions using cost-effectiveness models.

Prevention programs and treatment strategies for the elderly

This research area deals with the development and effectiveness assessment of strategic interventions for the treatment, care and prevention of the elderly (i.e., relapses of chronic illnesses; risk prediction models and prevention of falls in the elderly; model of management of the frail elderly at home). These research projects should lead to the the identification of the best practices for the management of aging people. Furthermore, we plan to assess the feasibility and impact of organizational/predictive interventions by conducting before-and-after studies. Finally, randomized and controlled studies, possibly multicentric, will allow us to carry out effectiveness assessment of prevention and long-term treatments.