Previous Fora / 2003
Speakers
Knowledge and quality of life
Knowledge and Quality of Life with Particular Relevance to the Ageing Population
Professor Sir George K. Radda,
Chief Executive, Medical Research Council, United Kingdom
Abstract
The 20th Century saw a dramatic increase in life expectancy from 47 years in 1900 to around 80 today. Most of this gain can be attributed to improved social conditions and success in preventing major infectious diseases (e.g. TB). Further gains will depend on delivering new healthcare advances. The challenges for the future are: (i) to promote healthy ageing (ii) to improve management of age-related illnesses (iii)to encourage leading edge, multidisciplinary research that will inform these aims.
In the UK a National Collaboration for Ageing Research was set up between four funding agencies (Research Councils). Research covers a range of activities: the fundamental biology of normal ageing, genomics of population ageing, neurological and physiological conditions relevant to the elderly, rehabilitation and support, social aspects (e.g. health variations, population and household change). From the physical and engineering sciences new technologies for old age, physics for healthcare and medical engineering are being emphasised.
Some of the new knowledge and how this impinges on society will be demonstrated by examining a multidisciplinary research activity into neurodegenerative diseases and in particular dementia, a major health problem in the ageing population. Advances in potential new treatments, such as the use of stem cells and prevention strategies which are expected to come from the information derived from the major UK