DGCG Research Goals

DGCG's research goals may be summarized in the following framework:

• Goal 1. Identify risk factors, and develop and test prevention or treatment methods for disabilities, symptoms, causes of activity limitation, and high vulnerability to adverse outcomes from illness, injury, or other stressors in older persons.
• Goal 2. Determine the relationship of age-related factors to accuracy or predictive value of diagnostic measures, and efficacy or adverse effects of interventions in older persons. Based on this knowledge, develop approaches to improve diagnoses or outcomes in older persons and determine their effects.
• Goal 3. Determine clinical and functional effects of interactions of comorbid conditions, of interactions of therapies for these conditions, and the efficacy of interventions to optimize the balance of benefits and risks for the older patient with multiple conditions.
• Goal 4. Determine sequences of age-related changes over the life span and how such sequences can contribute to incidence of age-related conditions, and influence their progression.
• Goal 5. Elucidate relationships of aging processes and age-related changes to development or progression of morbidities, and develop and test diagnostic and treatment approaches based on this information.
• Goal 6. Identify protective factors contributing to exceptionally healthy human aging as expressed by exceptional longevity, exceptional "health span" or exceptionally slow rates of physiologic decline, and test human interventions with potential to contribute to exceptionally healthy aging.

Selected major issues in clinical trials, translational research, career development and the work of the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs) as well cross cutting issues involving populations diversity and health disparities addressed by DGCG overlap with some of the goals above.