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How
Does
Genetics
Influence
Healthy
Aging?
Alliance
For
Aging
Research
Launches
Innovative
Web
Feature,
Genetics
In
Aging
March
28,
2001
--
A
revolution
is
underway
in
science,
technology
and
medicine
that
will
dramatically
improve
our
health
spans
and
aging
processes,
and
will
likely
alter
our
perceptions
of
when
"old
age"
begins.
Lifesaving
breakthroughs
in
genetic
research
will
change
the
way
we
diagnose,
treat
and
prevent
disease.
To
help
families
understand
the
role
of
genetics
in
the
aging
process,
and
just
what
is
known
about
their
DNA
and
what
it
might
mean
for
them,
the
Alliance
for
Aging
Research
(www.agingresearch.org)
today
launched
Genetics
in
Aging,
an
innovative
web
feature
located
at
http://www.agingresearch.org/geneticsinaging/index.html
.
"Genetics
in
Aging
bridges
the
education
gap
for
people
who
are
concerned
about
their
chances
for
healthy
aging
and
the
possible
links
of
inherited
disease,"
said
Daniel
Perry,
executive
director
of
the
Alliance
for
Aging
Research.
"This
new
feature
will
show
how
your
genetic
heritage
and
lifestyle
habits
relate
to
your
personal
health
risks.
Understanding
the
interplay
between
your
body's
genetic
'roadmap'
and
life
choices
can
improve
your
odds
of
leading
a
more
vital,
productive
and
independent
life."
Excitement
is
growing
in
the
scientific
and
medical
communities
due
to
the
progress
of
the
Human
Genome
Project
(HGP),
a
decade-long
effort
to
characterize
-
for
the
first
time
ever
-
the
complete
set
of
genetic
instructions
encoded
in
the
three
billion
base
pairs
of
human
DNA.
Scientists
expect
the
project
to
yield
a
bountiful
harvest
of
new
cures
and
preventions
of
disease,
including
genetic
treatments
for
illnesses
such
as
prostate
cancer,
diabetes,
and
neurodegenerative
disorders
like
Parkinson's
and
Alzheimer's.
"Genetic
research
will
revolutionize
medicine
by
giving
health
care
providers
precise
diagnostic,
therapeutic,
and
prevention
tools,"
said
Perry.
"The
endless
promise
of
genetic
research
may
one
day
enable
doctors
to
correct
flaws
in
a
person's
genetic
makeup
by
replacing
abnormal
genes
with
normal
ones,
provide
medicines
that
fit
an
individual's
systemic
makeup
and
attack
the
cause
of
illness
rather
than
its
symptoms,
and
eliminate
adverse
drug
reactions
that
so
commonly
plague
patients
today."
Genes
tell
cells
how
to
behave,
and
influence
everything
from
what
you
look
like
to
what
diseases
you
may
get.
Problems
arise
when
genes
are
malformed
or
defective,
causing
the
development
of
cancer,
diabetes,
and
many
other
illnesses.
The
cause
of
age-related
illnesses,
however,
is
usually
attributable
to
the
interaction
of
genetic
predisposition
and
environmental
factors,
such
as
diet
and
exercise.
Genetics
in
Aging
will
educate
visitors
about
genetics
research,
current
and
possible
future
discoveries,
and
how
this
breakthrough
science
will
impact
the
aging
population.
While
not
a
diagnostic
tool,
Genetics
in
Aging
highlights
the
importance
of
genetics
in
disease
susceptibility
and
the
need
to
design
appropriate
treatments.
Broken
into
two
parts,
Genetics
in
Aging
includes:
DNA
Basics,
which
provides
an
introduction
to
the
world
of
genetics;
and
Diseases
and
Conditions,
which
allows
visitors
to
explore
what
is
known
about
the
genetic
components
of
Alzheimer's
and
Parkinson's
disease,
breast
cancer,
colon
cancer,
prostate
cancer
and
coronary
heart
disease
-
all
of
which
are
significant
to
the
aging
population.
To
develop
Genetics
in
Aging,
the
Alliance
received
an
unrestricted
educational
grant
from
DNA
Sciences,
Inc.,
an
integrated
genetics
discovery
company
based
in
Fremont,
Calif.
DNA
Sciences
is
focused
on
identifying
the
genetic
basis
of
disease
susceptibility,
disease
progression
and
response
to
drug
treatment.
The
DNA
Sciences
Gene
Trust
Projectsm
provides
consumers
with
an
opportunity
to
participate
in
this
effort
by
volunteering
a
small
blood
sample
for
genetics
research.
"While
we
cannot
put
a
timeline
on
discovery,
we
are
at
a
historic
point
in
the
life
sciences
and
on
the
brink
of
uncovering
just
what
makes
the
body
tick
at
the
cellular
and
molecular
levels,"
said
Perry.
"Having
a
full
understanding
of
our
genealogy
and
how
best
to
treat
genetic
diseases
will
bring
breathtaking
changes
to
the
meaning
of
'old
age.'"
A
non-profit,
independent
organization,
the
Alliance
for
Aging
Research
is
dedicated
to
improving
the
health
and
independence
of
Americans
as
they
age
through
public
and
private
funding
of
medical
research
and
geriatric
education.
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