Healthy brain aging: A meeting report from the Sylvan M. Cohen Annual Retreat of the University of Pennsylvania Institute on Aging

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Since January of 2006, a baby boomer has turned 60 every seven seconds in the United States, according to Dr. John Trojanowski, director of the Institute on Aging at University of Pennsylvania, who introduced the theme of this public symposium on “Healthy Brian Aging”. And as these baby boomers get older, they are increasingly concerned about healthy aging, particularly healthy brain aging, and seek to avoid aging-related neurodegenerative disorders, like mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other aging related neurodegenerative disorders associated with progressive brain degeneration and relentless declines in cognitive function. AD is of particular concern because its prevalence increases exponentially with age after 65 and the world population is experiencing a longevity revolution in which the most rapidly expanding segment of the global population is that over age 65. There are a range of estimates on prevalence of AD in the United States, from 2.4 million1 to 5.22 million, based on differing methodologies and approaches. But this notwithstanding, the number of people with AD is expected to explode in coming years as the population ages, unless ways to prevent or treat the disease are found. Indeed, someone develops AD in the United States approximately every 70 seconds, and AD has recently displaced diabetes as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. By 2030, by one estimate, as many as 7.7 million people in the United States could have the disease, and by 2050 this number could rise to between 11 million and 16 million people3. It is currently estimated that the cost of AD in the U.S. exceeds $100 billion annually, and AD will likely affect the economies of other countries, including developing nations, as well. For example, the London-based Alzheimer’s Disease International has determined that by 2040 the number of Alzheimer patients will more than triple in India, China and other countries in south Asia and the western Pacific4. With this in mind, the Penn Institute on Aging hosted some of the country’s leading neuroscience researchers to discuss healthy brain aging at its Sylvan Cohen Annual Retreat on May 6, 2008. Facing an audience of some 400 attendees made up predominantly of the general public, Drs. Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, Marilyn Albert, Carl Cotman, and Hugh Hendrie discussed both the science underlying brain aging as well as specific strategies that might reduce disabilities and enhance functional capacity.