Geriatrics Center of
Excellence News
|
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the first Center of
Excellence stipends and grants. We had many excellent applications
for these funds and would like to thank all who applied for their
interest in geriatrics.
The Assistant Professor Stipend was awarded to Dr. Marie Johnson who
is in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Denver Health
Medical Center. Marie is completing the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship
at the University of Colorado this year and will use the stipend to
fund 50% of her time over the next three years to conduct
The Assistant Professor
Stipend was awarded to Dr.
Marie Johnson.
her project entitled, "The Influence of Physicians' Attitudes
and Behaviors on Patient Outcomes at the End of Life."
She will also enroll in the Certificate of Public Health Program in
the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, and play a lead
role in program development for geriatrics at Denver Health. Marie
has demonstrated a strong interest in geriatrics throughout her
medical career, first at the University of California San Francisco,
then as a faculty member at Denver Health Medical Center. She plans
to build on her stipend activities to continue in academic geriatrics
as a clinician, teacher, and researcher.
The Mid-career Stipend was awarded to Dr. Thomas Whitehill, Assistant
Professor of Vascular Surgery. His research will focus on outcomes of
patients receiving surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms and he will
obtain further clinical training in geriatric medicine. Dr.
|
Whitehill has demonstrated a strong interest in geriatric medicine
throughout his surgical career, and over 90% of his patients are 65
years of age or older.
The Mid-Career Stipend was
awarded to
Dr. Thomas Whitehill.
On the faculty at UCD for the past four and one-half years, he has
been productive in basic science research relating to the etiology
and progression of atherosclerosis. We believe Tom Whitehill will be
a major contributor to geriatric medicine in the Health Sciences
Center as he develops his clinical research activities and greater
clinical skills in geriatrics with which he plans to begin teaching
surgical residents about geriatric care issues.
A grant was awarded to Dr. John Weil, Professor of Medicine and
Director of the Cardiovascular Pulmonary Research Laboratory. His
project entitled "L-Arginine Levels and Nitric Oxide Activity in
the Elderly - Responses to Arginine and Vitamin Supplements"
builds on preliminary findings from his lab that L-arginine levels
decline with aging and could constitute a reversible contributor to
development and progression of vascular dysfunction. They have found
that multi-vitamins and possibly anti-oxidants increase L-arginine
levels in young, healthy subjects.
Thus, this study involves expanding their work to focus on elderly
persons and determining how L-arginine levels can be raised through
vitamin supplementation. We are pleased that Dr. Weil and the
distinguished research team from the Cardiovascular Research Lab
including Drs. Lindenfield and Tyler will be contributors to the
Center of Excellence.
Continued on Page 2....
|
Focus: San Luis Valley
Health and Aging Study
|
This NIA-funded study, conducted by the Department of Preventive
Medicine and Biometrics, focuses on disability and disease among
aging Hispanic and non-Hispanic white (NHW) residents of two counties
in southern Colorado. The San Luis Valley (SLV) Health and Aging
Study, begun in 1992 with 5 years of funding, started with a 4-hour
baseline clinic evaluation of 1433 Hispanic and NHW persons.
By 1997,
a two-year follow-up assessment of this cohort was completed, with
83% returning. A 3-year, $1.1 million, competing continuation grant
to conduct surveillance of the cohort and analyses from the existing
data will begin in April 1998.
A central focus of the study is
to assess whether the rates
and risk factors for aging
related outcomes are the
same between Hispanic and
NHW elderly.
Specific Aims:
v
To determine the prevalence of functional impairment, physical
disability, need for assistance in activities of daily living (ADL),
depression, and cognitive impairment by self-report and examination
in a cohort of Hispanic and non-Hispanic white subjects in two
counties in southern Colorado;
v
To measure selected risk factors and disease endpoints in the cohort,
including physical activity and nutritional intake, blood pressure,
and co-morbid conditions;
v
To determine the use of formal and
Continued on Page 3....
|
