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Improving the Health, Well-Being, and Independence of Adults as They Age

New insights into lifestyle, psychological, and other environmental influences on health promise to have a profound impact on the ability of older adults to remain physically healthy and cognitively, emotionally, and socially vital into very advanced ages – ideally, for as long as they live. Capitalizing on new insights from basic research, scientists will continue to work from multiple perspectives to develop and test strategies for preempting or reducing the severity of health problems that midlife and older adults experience. We will also work to strengthen the translation of basic findings and cutting-edge technological breakthroughs into practical applications to improve health and well-being at older ages.

NIA has established four goals for improving the health, well-being, and independence of adults as they age.

Goal C: Develop effective interventions to maintain health, well-being, and function and prevent or reduce the burden of age-related diseases, disorders, and disabilities.

Goal D: Improve our understanding of the aging brain, Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Develop interventions to address Alzheimer’s and other age-related neurological conditions.

Goal E: Improve our understanding of the consequences of an aging society to inform intervention development and policy decisions.

Goal F: Understand health disparities related to aging and develop strategies to improve the health status of older adults in diverse populations.