WHY AGING RESEARCH?

It is no secret that many diseases – Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, macular degeneration and many more – occur with greater frequency as we age, devastating millions of older adults.

In Florida, with the nation’s highest percentage of senior citizens and where nearly one-fourth of the entire state’s population is over age 60, increasing wellness and longevity have changed both the expectations and the realities of an aging society.

If you live, work, or conduct business in Florida, consider this:

• Between 2000 and 2010, Florida experienced a 25% increase in new Alzheimer’s cases – far more than any other state.

• In Florida, patients with coronary artherosclerosis are hospitalized at over twice the rate than the U.S. average.

• In 2006, 60% of new cancer cases in Florida were diagnosed among people aged 65 and older, and the numbers are increasing.

While there is no “fountain of youth,” scientists are beginning to identify potential genes that can help us live longer, healthier lives.  Research breakthroughs in a whole range of disciplines from biochemistry to molecular research, and from immunology to neurobiology, are fueling hopes for extended health.

Biomedical research on aging and diseases of aging is critically important because it can:

• Improve the lives of older adults by generating knowledge that can help prolong their health and independence.

• Provide new information that informs society.

• Increase our understanding of all age-related diseases, potentially improving public health to a far greater extent than science that examines only one disease at a time.

As scientists throughout Florida compete for increasingly scarce research dollars, young investigators with innovative, transformative ideas are being left behind.

As Florida’s demographic continues to shift to an older population, the need for research funds is more important than ever!

How You Can Help

You can help to fill the gap left by limited research dollars by joining AFAR Florida in investing in young, Florida-based scientists seeking to advance the science of healthier aging.

To help AFAR Florida meet its goals, please click here.
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