According to the United Nations, the number of people aged 60 years or over in the world is projected to be 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 billion in 2050. Endocrinologists and other clinicians face the challenge of caring for the elderly. To do so, they need to incorporate geriatric principles into their clinical practice. Endocrinology of Aging: Clinical Aspects in Diagrams and Images presents chapters in a way that allows the reader to incorporate concepts and main facts of complex subjects in a visual way. As the global population becomes older, the need for a deeper understanding of geriatric pathology increases, and with it, the access to educational resources for the endocrinology and metabolism of aging.

Exploring the potential of poetry and poetic language as a means of conveying perspectives on ageing and later life, this book examines questions such as 'how can we understand ageing and later life?' and 'how can we capture the ambiguities and complexities that the experiences of growing old in time and place entail?' As poetic language illuminates, transfigures and enchants our being in the world, it also offers insights into the existential questions that are amplified as we age, including the vulnerabilities and losses that humble us and connect us. Literary gerontology and narrative gerontology have highlighted the importance of linguistic representations of ageing. While the former has been concerned primarily with the analysis of published literary works, the latter has foregrounded the individual and collective meaning making through narrative resources in old age. There has, however, been less interest in how poetic language, both as a genre and as a practice, can illuminate ageing. This volume suggests a path towards the poetics of ageing by means of presenting analyses of published poetry on ageing written by poets from William Shakespeare to Wallace Stevens; the use of reading and writing poetry among ordinary people in old age; and the poetic nuances that emerge from other literary practices and contexts in relation to ageing - including personal poetic reflections from many of the contributing authors. The volume brings together international scholars from disciplinary backgrounds as diverse as cultural psychology, literary studies, theology, sociology, narrative medicine, cultural gerontology and narrative gerontology, and will deploy a variety of empirical and critical methodologies to explore how poetry and poetic language may challenge dominant discourses and illuminate alternative understandings of ageing.

Anti-Aging Pharmacology provides an overview of current research aimed at the pharmacological modulation of aging, including a discussion of the growing number of novel drug classes with promising anti-aging potential. The aging process is the main risk factor for all chronic diseases affecting the elderly. With lifespans extending across the globe, these chronic diseases are placing a larger burden on individuals and health care systems. Therefore, slowing down the aging rate could be more effective in delaying aging-associated chronic disorders than combating them one by one, which is the conventional approach in a current disease-based pharmacological paradigm. This book contains the work of the world's leading researchers in the field, including sections on the conceptual and methodological background of anti-aging pharmacology, the basic classes of anti-aging drugs, phytochemicals, outcomes of anti-aging developments and future directions. This book will be of interest to a wide audience, ranging from pharmacologists, medicinal chemists and academic researchers in gerontology, biomedical sciences and those in medical practice.

Nutritional Modulators of Pain in the Aging Population provides an overview on the role of foods, dietary supplements, obesity, and nutrients in the prevention and amelioration of pain in various diseases in the aging population. Headaches, fibromyalgia, joint pain, arthritis pain, back pain, and stomach pain are discussed. In addition, the potential health risks of using foods to reduce symptoms is evaluated. Each chapter reviews pain causing conditions before reviewing the role of food or exercise. Both researchers and physicians will learn about dietary approaches that may benefit or harm people with various types of pain. Chapters include current research on the actions of nutrients in pain treatment, the effects of lifestyle and exercise on pain management, and discussions of dietary supplements that provide pain relief from chronic conditions like arthritis.

The age-friendly community movement is a global phenomenon, currently growing with the support of the WHO and multiple international and national organizations in the field of aging. Drawing on an extensive collection of international case studies, this volume provides an introduction to the movement. The contributors - both researchers and practitioners - touch on a number of current tensions and issues in the movement and offer a wide-ranging set of recommendations for advancing age-friendly community development. The book concludes with a call for a radical transformation of a medical and lifestyle model of aging into a relational model of health and social/individual wellbeing.

This book provides concrete scientific basis that we can conceive the possibility of modifying or even completely canceling aging process, despite the fact that aging is commonly regarded as the result of the overall effects of many uncontrollable degenerative phenomena. The authors illustrate in detail the mechanisms by which cells and the whole organism age. Actions by which it is possible, or will be possible within a limited time, to operate for modifying aging are also debated. The discussion is conducted within the frame and the concepts of evolutionary medicine, which is also indispensable for distinguishing between the manifestations of aging and: (i) diseases that worsen with age, and (ii) acceleration of normal aging rates, caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits and other avoidable factors. The book also discusses the impact of aging on overall mortality and the strange situation that, according to official statistics, aging does not exist as cause of death. This book is a turning point between a gerontology and geriatrics conceived as the study and vain treatment of an incurable condition and one in which these disciplines examine the how and why of a physiological phenomenon that can be modified up to a possible total control. This means transforming the medical prevention and treatment of physiological aging from the greatest failure to the greatest success of medicine.

John Rebus stands accused: on trial for a crime that could put him behind bars for the rest of his life. Although it's not the first time the legendary detective has taken the law into his own hands, it might be the last. What drove a good man to cross the line? Or have times changed, and the rules with them? Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke faces Edinburgh's most explosive case in years, as a corrupt cop goes missing after claiming to harbour secrets that could sink the city's police force. But in this investigation, it seems all roads lead to Rebus - and Clarke's twin loyalties to the public and the police will be tested to their limit. A reckoning is coming - and John Rebus may be hearing the call for last orders...

"Recent Events in the Psychology of Aging" documents the successful integration of aging into the mainstream of psychology. Leading psychologists present overviews of the key issues and research findings on mainstream topics. These include cognitive neuroscience, visual attention, learning, memory and cognition, as well as personality and happiness. The intersection of aging content with mainstream psychology is also prominent in the areas of emotions, personality, and social psychology as seen in the chapters on subjective well-being, emotional development, self-esteem and personality trajectories.
The seven chapters of this book offer information on such topics as: the seven sins of memory, categorizing the common breakdowns of memory in everyday life and the special breakdown of sins that increase with aging; problems with attention and learning; and offers answers to questions such as do emotions get blunted with age; do older people focus more on positive feelings; and the age old question of whether older people are happier than younger people is given in the chapter on the evolving concept of subjective well-being and the multifaceted nature of happiness. Questions about what occurs to one's self-esteem and personality are also masterfully discussed and the answers may be surprising. The concluding seventh chapter provides a cultural lens on the biopsychosocial study of aging.

The Science of Hormesis in Health and Longevity provides a comprehensive review of mild stress-induced physiological hormesis and its role in the maintenance and promotion of health. Coverage includes the underlying mechanisms of hormesis, including details of stress-response signaling, an enriched environment, positive challenges and dose-response mechanisms, amongst others. Research from top experts is presented to provide suggestions for developing novel therapeutic strategies, along with lifestyle interventions to promote health and homoeostasis. Researchers in aging and physiology, gerontologists, clinicians and medical students will find this a valuable addition for their work.

Collectively, the chapters in this work will provide the reader with novel insight into the inter-relationships of the function of different organelles in the sequences of events that lead to cellular dysfunction and degeneration in the aging human population. The chapters are rich in information for cell and molecular biologists pursuing studies of the different diseases covered. In addition, the clinician will find value in understanding mechanisms underlying age-related disease as such an understanding will lead to novel therapeutic approaches for an array of age-related diseases.

People in developed countries are living longer and, just as the aged population around the world is steadily growing, the number of adults eighty-five and older in the United States is projected to quadruple to twenty-one million people by 2050. The aging of our population has huge implications for baby boomers and their children, and has generated a greater interest in the causes and effects of aging.
"Our Aging Bodies" provides a clear, scientifically based explanation of what happens to all the major organ systems and bodily processes--such as the cardiovascular and digestive systems--as people age. The first section is an overview of secondary aging--changes that occur with age that are related to disease and the environment--and include the effect of such things as diet, humor, and exercise. Readers will also learn about primary aging--intrinsic changes that occur with the aging of specific organs and body systems (including the prostate, the heart, the digestive system, and the brain). Throughout the book, Gary F. Merrill weaves in personal anecdotes and stories that help clarify and reinforce the facts and principles of the underlying scientific processes and explanations. "Our Aging Bodies" is accessible to a general reader interested in the aging phenomenon, or baby boomers wanting to be more informed when seeing their doctor and discussing changes to their bodies as they age.

This volume of "Advances in Cell Aging and Gerontology" critically reviews the rapidly advancing area of telomerase research with a focus at the molecular and cellular levels. The clearly established function of telomerase is to maintain chromosome ends during successive rounds of cell division by adding a six base DNA repeat on to the telomeric ends of chromosomes. As presented in the chapters of this volume, the mechanisms that regulate telomerase expression and activity are complex. Moreover, emerging data suggest additional roles for telomerase in the regulation of cell differentiation and survival.

It is expected that this quite comprehensive volume will provide a valuable resource for graduate students and postdocs in the telomerase field and for established investigators in other fields who are beginning to study telomerase in their particular research program. With an increasing number of proteins being brought into the fold of telomerase research (e.g., DNA damage and repair response proteins, heat-shock proteins, and proteins in various signal transduction cascades) many new scientists are beginning to study this enzyme from novel vantage points.

Based on an intensive qualitative study of a diverse group of 51 older widowers, this unique book sets widowhood within the context of life experience and identifies characteristics and patterns of behaviour that contribute to widowers' success, or lack of it, in adjusting satisfactorily to their circumstances. The authors shed light on widowers' specific needs and on the services needed to help widowers develop greater self-reliance. Among the topics discussed are models of resilience, marriage and illness of the spouse, caregiving and communication, death of the wife, grief and adjustment, living alone and remarriage, life values carried forward, adult children and other social support, and cohorts and the future. The authors conclude with a consideration of trends that may influence the next generation's experience of widowhood. This excellent volume offers expert guidance on the needs and care of the nearly invisible population of older widowers.

This is part of a series of integrative work by infancy researchers of both humans and animals. The articles seek to serve as references on programmatic series of studies, critical correlations of diverse data that yield to a common theme, and constructive attacks on old issues.

This text is a practical guide for primary-care doctors and health visitors involved in the detection of developmental problems in children whose parents are worried that their child is not developing like other children. It will be of assistance to paediatricians and paediatric neurologists in providing a developmental perspective in the diagnostic process in their work with children with chronic neurological disorders. The tests described have been standardized by the author and cover the essentials of developmental examination: history - including parents' views of their child's development; clinical tests of hearing; examination of visual behavior and visual acuity; observation of developing motor skills; language/performance profiles in which any substantial unevenness or an overall low score may reveal a developmental problem. In practice the range of average ability is wide, so a distinctive feature of this book is a standardized data base in graphical form that can be used to identify readily those children (lowest 20%) who warrant further specialist investigation or treatment.

A deliciously funny and sage guide to midlife - an unscientific, flaws-and-all account of one woman's adventures and misadventures through the dark comedy of the wilderness years.

Through her own experiences as a fifty-something woman, and those of her three sisters, her indomitable mum and rebellious auntie, Charlotte tackles the big questions every woman seeks answers to at this time of our lives - chiefly: How the hell am I going to get over being young in a world obsessed with youth?

Written with warmth, wisdom and irreverence this guide to midlife is perfect for readers of Nora Ephron, Caitlin Moran and India Knight.

This volume provides key molecular biological protocols and experimental strategies currently employed to study the various stages of mammary gland development. Chapters are divided into four parts covering genetically modified mouse models that exhibit prenatal and pubertal mammary gland phenotypes, 2D and 3D-model culture systems, methodologies for mammary stem cell isolation, and translational applications that provide a bridge between experimental studies of mammary gland development and the study of human breast cancer. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Mammary Gland Development: Methods and Protocols will be useful for researchers whose primary interest is in mammary gland development; developmental biologists, epithelial cell biologists, and those with an interest in molecular mechanisms underlying breast cancer.

As the preface indicates, this sorely needed tool is more than a dictionary. In addition to defining terms specific to gerontology (circuit breakers, ' Detroit syndrome') and multidisciplinary terms (suicide, ' cholesterol') pertinent to gerontology, in alphabetic order, it provides one to four references for each term. . . . . Highly recommended for upper-division and graduate collections. "Choice"

Because of the different disciplines that gerontology encompasses, the definition it uses can prove bewildering to students, scholars, and practitioners. Diana Harris is the first scholar to deal with this terminology in a comprehensive manner. Reflecting multidisciplinary perspectives and introducing standardization, her dictionary offers hundreds of precisely defined terms and concepts, as well as detailed, up-to-date bibliographic information. Because of the different disciplines that gerontology encompasses, the definitions it uses can prove bewildering to students, scholars, and practitioners. Diana Harris is the first scholar to deal with this terminology in a comprehensive manner. Reflecting multidisciplinary perspectives and introducing standardization, her dictionary offers hundreds of precisely defined terms and concepts, as well as detailed, up-to-date bibliographic information.

"Aging: Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants" bridges the trans-disciplinary divide and covers in a single volume the science of oxidative stress in aging and the potentially therapeutic use of natural antioxidants in the diet or food matrix. The processes within the science of oxidative stress are described in concert with other processes, such as apoptosis, cell signaling, and receptor mediated responses. This approach recognizes that diseases are often multifactorial, and oxidative stress is a single component of this.

Gerontologists, geriatricians, nutritionists, and dieticians are separated by divergent skills and professional disciplines that need to be bridged in order to advance preventative as well as treatment strategies. While gerontologists and geriatricians may study the underlying processes of aging, they are less likely to be conversant in the science of nutrition and dietetics. On the other hand, nutritionists and dietitians are less conversant with the detailed clinical background and science of gerontology. This book addresses this gap and brings each of these disciplines to bear on the processes inherent in the oxidative stress of aging.
Nutritionists can apply information related to mitochondrial oxidative stress in one disease to diet-related strategies in another unrelated disease Dietitians can prescribe new foods or diets containing anti-oxidants for conditions resistant to conventional pharmacological treatments Dietitians, after learning about the basic biology of oxidative stress, will be able to suggest new treatments to their multidisciplinary teamsNutritionists and dietitians will gain an understanding of cell signaling and be able to suggest new preventative or therapeutic strategies with anti-oxidant rich foods

This volume is one of the first to concentrate on positive growth and development in a clinical arena, rather than loss and pathology. In contrast to the general theories and cross-sectional studies of existing adult developmental research, much of this volume looks at the whole-life level of development of adults through case studies. The book unites three compatible approaches to the study of adult development. The first considers the development of whole life. The second approach examines behavior during certain periods in adults' lives by combining clinical and developmental stage perspectives. The third approach examines periods of life following the work of Erikson, Levinson, and Vaillant. The editors of this volume believe that these three approaches form, in their synergy, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to uniquely difficult problems of late adolescence and early adulthood. It is the unification of these three approches that makes this book unique in its field.

For many years, it has been known that when rats and mice are given a reduced amount of food, their life span is increased and they remain healthy and vigorous at advanced ages.

What is the reason for this change in the usual pattern of aging? The evidence is overwhelming that the life extension results from a slowing of aging processes. And the factor responsible is the decrease in caloric intake. The obvious question: How does this factor work? A good question - and the reason that research on the anti-aging action of caloric restriction is today one of the most studied research areas in biological gerontology. For it is felt that if the biological mechanisms of the anti-aging action of caloric restriction can be uncovered, we would gain an understanding of the basic nature of aging processes, which would, in turn, yield possible interventions in human aging. This book aims to provide the growing number of researchers in this field (faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students) with a detailed knowledge of what is known about caloric restriction within the frame of gerontology, as well as insights on future of this field.

Few topics in women's medicine today are as fraught with confusion and controversy as the question of appropriate treatment for menopausal symptoms and the prevention of negative long term health outcomes common to post-menopausal women. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), osteoporosis, and cancer - the most common causes of death, disability and impaired quality of life for women - can potentially be prevented or forestalled by dietary, behavioural and drug interventions. A better understanding of the natural history of the menopause is critical to providing better care. If women and their physicians have a better understanding of predictors of risk, they could make more informed decisions about interventions related to menopausal symptoms, CVD, osteoporosis and gynaecologic and breast cancer. Few other recently introduced medical interventions have as great a potential of affecting morbidity and mortality as does hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT has produced effect on health risk: some are reduced, some are raised, and some uncertain, and these data are interpreted differently by various scientific, medical and consumer groups.