Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), speaks in a New York Times feature about the importance of aging research and the impending budget cuts for the NIA. He discusses the work of scientists in the field who have made recent breakthrough discoveries, including the role of telomeres, diet, and exercise in the aging process, and new research on biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Hodes emphasizes the great positive impact that this kind of research can have on the care and well-being of the baby boomers, but also the great potential loss we will experience with continued budget constraints. Funding aging research means funding these new breakthroughs, as well as supporting the “scientific work force” that will care for our aging population.
