CENTER FOR CAM RESEARCH IN AGING

老龄化 CAM 研究中心

• 批准号: 6024261
• 负责人: FREDI KRONENBERG
• 金额: $ 150.14万
• 依托单位: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-09-30 至 2004-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6024261
• 关键词: aging; alternative medicine; diet therapy; postmenopause; women's health

In recent years increasing numbers of Americans are using alternative approaches to conventional medicine. This includes 39% of people age 50 and older. Aging does not begin at age 65 but occurs across our life span. Physiological, social and psychological changes that occur during midlife can have major effects on health and thereby, the quality and duration of the rest of life. Such changes are particularly significant for women, where declining estrogen levels result in changes in the physiologic profile. Although estrogen therapy is widely recommended to midlife women with long term protection against heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease in mind, estrogen therapy is also associated with increased cancer risk and has side effects and most women choose not to take it. The initial focus of our proposed Center for CAM Research in Aging at Columbia University is on botanical and dietary approaches to clinical concerns of post menopausal women with the goal of rigorous evaluation of the efficacy, mechanisms of action, and possible risks of these approaches. The proposed Center contains three highly interactive clinical research projects and one basic science project, supported by administrative, biostatistical, and clinical research cores. Project One examines the influence of a macrobiotic diet, as compared to the addition of a single food to a typical diet, on various biochemical and cardiovascular parameters that may be influenced by estrogens. Project Two assesses whether these natural, dietary sources of estrogen prevent postmenopausal bone loss, one of the most important current public health challenges. State-of-the-art approaches to measurement of markers of bone formation and bone resorption will be combined with highly sensitive quantitation of bone mass. Project Three is designed to determine whether treatment with herb black cohosh is effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of menopausal host flashes. Project Four examines the bioactivity, mechanisms of action, and potential risks of a widely-used Chinese Herbal formula in cell culture and in vivo. All of the Program Projects are led by Principal Investigators with an active interest in complementary and alternative medicine and extensive experience with both clinical populations and basic research. While the proposed Center for CAM in Aging will initially evaluate dietary and herbal treatments in postmenopausal women, the score of work will be expanded through the Developmental Research Program to include other CAM modalities. In addition, a strong Career Development Program is proposed that will provide a critical link between researchers with an interest in CAM at Columbia and the larger CAM community. The proposed Center will take advantage of the unique institutional resources available at Columbia, will develop an interdisciplinary research program that targets significant health problems of aging, and will conduct the timely education and training of future CAM researchers.

近年来，越来越多的美国人正在使用传统医学的替代方法。其中包括 39% 的 50 岁及以上人群。衰老并不是从 65 岁开始，而是贯穿我们的一生。中年期间发生的生理、社会和心理变化会对健康产生重大影响，从而影响余生的质量和持续时间。这种变化对于女性来说尤其重要，雌激素水平下降会导致生理特征的变化。虽然雌激素治疗被广泛推荐给中年女性，以长期预防心脏病、骨质疏松症和阿尔茨海默病，但雌激素治疗也会增加癌症风险，并且有副作用，大多数女性选择不接受。我们在哥伦比亚大学设立的 CAM 衰老研究中心最初的重点是通过植物和饮食方法来解决绝经后妇女的临床问题，目标是严格评估这些方法的功效、作用机制和可能的风险。拟建中心包含三个高度互动的临床研究项目和一个基础科学项目，并得到行政、生物统计和临床研究核心的支持。项目一研究了长寿饮食（与在典型饮食中添加单一食物）对可能受雌激素影响的各种生化和心血管参数的影响。 项目二评估这些天然的膳食雌激素来源是否可以预防绝经后骨质流失，这是当前最重要的公共卫生挑战之一。最先进的骨形成和骨吸收标志物测量方法将与高灵敏度的骨量定量相结合。项目三旨在确定黑升麻药草治疗是否能有效减少更年期宿主闪现的频率和强度。项目四研究了一种广泛使用的中草药配方在细胞培养和体内的生物活性、作用机制和潜在风险。所有计划项目均由对补充和替代医学有浓厚兴趣并在临床人群和基础研究方面拥有丰富经验的首席研究员领导。虽然拟议的 CAM 老龄化中心将首先评估绝经后妇女的饮食和草药治疗，但工作范围将通过发展研究计划扩大，以包括其他 CAM 模式。此外，还提出了一项强有力的职业发展计划，该计划将为哥伦比亚对 CAM 感兴趣的研究人员与更大的 CAM 社区之间提供关键的联系。拟建中心将利用哥伦比亚大学独特的机构资源，开发针对老龄化重大健康问题的跨学科研究计划，并对未来的 CAM 研究人员进行及时的教育和培训。