April 2008 Volume 2, Number 3

News and Events

Dr. Katz' Giant Cell Arteritis Study Information

Giant cell arteritis, GCA, also referred to as temporal arteritis, is a necrotizing vasculitis that results from inflammation of blood vessel walls. Generally, GCA is diagnosed in people over the age of 55. If not treated appropriately permanent vision loss may develop.

CoA faculty member, Dr. Bradley Katz, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, in collaboration with NORDIC (Neuro-Ophthalmology Research and Development Consortium), is recruiting collaborators who will provide blood and tissue specimens from patients undergoing superficial temporal artery biopsies for GCA. Both genomics and proteomics will be employed to identify disease biomarkers for GCA. For more information about the study and about becoming a collaborator, visit http://test.medicine.utah.edu/ophthalmology/gca/

This study is funded in part through support from a Dennis W. Jahnigen Scholar Award from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) that Dr. Katz received last year. The Jahnigen awards were established by the AGS to encourage academic clinicians to pursue geriatrics related research projects within their specialties. Grants are awarded in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, general surgery, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, physical medicine & rehabilitation, thoracic surgery, and urology. More information is available at http://www.americangeriatrics.org/hartford/jahnigen.shtml

Center on Aging Faculty Member Spotlight: Susan McDaniel

Key Issues for the 21st Century, edited by CoA Faculty Member Susan McDaniel, is a remarkable achievement in the interdisciplinary field of aging. The four-volume set is described as follows:

The study of aging is a fundamental issue for social science. Age is seen much less as a "natural" developmental phase of life and more as a socio-cultural construct. This opens opportunities to new ways to see aging as a social process and factor in power relations, and for examining in theory and in empirical research, the intersections of age with class, race, gender, and sexuality. This book was published by Sage Publications, and is available in the Marriott Library.

Welcome New Members

At their March 26 meeting, the Steering Committee approved three new members into the Center of Aging. Please join me in welcoming Linda Edelman, College of Nursing, Russ Richardson, Division of Geriatrics, and Deidre Tyler, Department of Sociology.

Did You Know?

Did you know there are now 78 faculty members in the Center on Aging? Please visit http://aging.utah.edu to make sure your biographical information and photo are up-to-date.

CoA Events during the Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society

The CoA will be well represented during the upcoming annual national meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Washington, D.C. from May 1 to 4. Drs. Rand Rupper and Jonathan Nebeker will be presenting in a symposium titled, "Using Health Information Technology to Improve Medication Management of Geriatric Patients: Lessons Learned from Selected Implementations of Computerized Decision Support." Dr. Mark Supiano is leading a late-breaking symposium, "Results from the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial: Implications for Geriatrics," that will present the findings from a newly published landmark clinical study. In addition, information about CoA programs will be on display in the exhibit booth area.

About our logo: The bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) the earth's oldest inhabitant with a life span of 4,000 years is found only in Utah and five other western states. Its extraordinary longevity and ability to adapt and survive in extremely harsh environmental conditions above 10,000 feet embodies the investigative spirit and mission of the Utah Center on Aging.

If you have questions about the University of Utah Center on Aging, please visit us online at http://aging.utah.edu 801-585-9540 or aging@hsc.utah.edu

Best,

Mark A. Supiano, MD
Executive Director - Center on Aging