The American Geriatrics Society -

For Immediate Release
May 3, 2006

For more information:
Erin Weller
(212) 308-1414 x 329

American Geriatrics Society's 2006 Meeting to Highlight Needed Changes in Medicare, The Latest Research on the Role of Diet and Lifestyle in the Onset of Chronic Disease, the Growth Hormone Controversy, and More

Chicago, IL -- Much-needed changes in Medicare policy; new research on the effects of lifestyle on chronic disease; controversies surrounding the use of growth hormone as an "anti-aging" treatment; cultural differences that affect the quality of care for older patients; a possible redesign for hospice; and improving the care of older adults during disasters will be among the topics explored at the American Geriatrics Society's 2006 annual scientific meeting. The conference, the premier scientific meeting for geriatrics health care providers, educators, and researchers, begins today and runs through May 7.

More than 1,000 geriatrics researchers and clinicians will present cutting-edge scientific papers and posters, symposia, core curriculum sessions, and workshops during the meeting. Presentations include:

Thursday, May 4:

Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture on the role of nutrition and lifestyle on chronic disease: Renowned epidemiologist Walter Willett, MD, will discuss the effects of nutrition and lifestyle on the onset of chronic illness, addressing, among other things, the seemingly conflicting findings of recent studies on diet and health. A careful analysis of the evidence to date, he concludes, indicates that the type of dietary fat and carbohydrate, rather than the percentage of calories from either, is what influences risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Williett is the 2006 recipient of the AGS' Henderson State-of-the-Art Award. The award goes to an individual whose research and publications help healthcare providers better understand and provide quality elder care.

Growth Hormone for Anti-Aging: The Fallout from the October 2005 JAMA Commentary: The Journal of the American Medical Association's October article on the clinical and legal implications of using growth hormone (GH) as an "anti-aging" treatment reported that "off-label distribution or marketing of GH to treat aging or aging-related conditions is illegal." But hundreds of anti-aging clinics and Websites are selling GH as a youth serum. A panel of experts on GH, including article co-author Thomas Perls, MD, a geriatrician and associate professor in Medicine at Boston University Medical School, provide an update on what has happened in the field since the JAMA article appeared.

Doorway Thoughts Volume II: Cross-Cultural Health Care for Older Adults: The authors of this newly released second volume in the AGS' Doorway Thoughts series will discuss the cultural differences that affect the relationships between clinicians and their older patients and, as a result, the quality of care for older people. Developed by the AGS' Ethnogeriatrics Committee, the Doorway Thoughts guides are designed to help clinicians and geriatrics educators appreciate and respond appropriately to important cultural differences. The symposium will feature presentations by authors of selected chapters from Volume 2. Chapters in Volume 2 address care for Arab-American, Cambodian-American, Filipino-American, Haitian-American, Korean-American, Pakistani-American, Portuguese-American and Russian-American older adults. Volume 1 addresses cross-cultural care for African-American, American-Indian, Asian-Indian, Chinese-American, Hispanic-American, Japanese-American and Vietnamese-American older adults.

Friday, May 5:

Public Policy Lecture on much-needed changes that would make Medicare more responsive to the needs of the frail elderly and those with multiple chronic conditions: The Urban Institute's Robert Berenson, MD, will deliver this lecture, which will consider, among other things, possible changes in how physicians are compensated for caring for Medicare patients. An expert in healthcare and Medicare policy, Dr. Berenson is a professor at both the George Washington University School of Medicine and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Is it Time to Redesign Hospice? Examining End-of-Life Care at the User Interface: Though hospice was developed as an innovative solution to problems in end-of-life care, changes in health care over the past 20 years - particularly the proliferation of potentially life-prolonging treatments - have created barriers to hospice enrollment and raised concerns that hospice has outlived its usefulness. David J. Casarett, MD, assistant professor in the division of geriatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a senior fellow at the university's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, will review hospice's effectiveness and barriers to hospice access, and consider the need for a redesign of the Medicare Hospice Benefit.

Saturday, May 6:

The Impact of Disasters on Older Adults: Lessons Learned: As Hurricane Katrina made so painfully clear, older adults are among the most vulnerable in disasters. More than 1,000 Gulf residents died in the August 2005 storm and its aftermath. Roughly 75% of those deaths were among adults 65 or older. Charles Cefalu, MD, who was in Louisiana during the hurricane and its aftermath, and Carmel Bitondo Dyer, MD, who cared for elderly evacuees relocated to Houston, will join Javier Ortiz-Alonso, MD, who cared for survivors of the Madrid Subway Bombings, for this session, which will focus on the acute, intermediate and long-term effects of disasters on older adults. Drs. Cefalu and Dyer will use Katrina as an example, and Dr. Ortiz-Alonso, the Madrid subway bombings, to discuss what could and should be done differently to improve outcomes for older adults during natural and manmade disasters.

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The society supports this mission through activities in: clinical practice; professional education on the clinical care of older people; research; public education and information; public policy efforts; and through collaborative relationships with other organizations. For more information about AGS programs and initiatives, visit the AGS Web site at www.americangeriatrics.org.