Methodological Reviews
Health- and Disease-Related Biomarkers in Aging Research

Research in Gerontological Nursing  Vol. 2 No. 2 April 2009

By Hilaire J. Thompson, PhD, RN, CNRN, FAAN; Joachim G. Voss, PhD, RN

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on a synthesis of knowledge about healthy aging research in human beings and then synthesized nurse-led research in gerontology and geriatrics that use biomarkers. Healthy aging research has attracted considerable attention in the biomedical and basic sciences within the context of four major areas: (a) genetic variations as an expression of successful or unsuccessful aging; (b) caloric restriction as an intervention to slow the progression of aging; (c) immunological aging; (d) neurobiology of the aging brain. A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify nurse-led geriatric-related biomarker research. Nurse researchers who have chosen to integrate biomarkers as part of their research studies have been working in six focal areas, which are reviewed: health promotion within risk populations, cancer, vascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, caregiving, and complementary therapies. The article provides a discussion of contributions to date, identifying existing gaps and future research opportunities.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Thompson is Claire M. Fagin Fellow, The John A. Hartford Foundation, National Institutes of Health Roadmap Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Scholar, and Assistant Professor, and Dr. Voss is Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar and Assistant Professor, Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, The University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

This research was supported, in part, by a Claire M. Fagin Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Fellowship from The John A. Hartford Foundation (06-202; H.J.T.) and the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research (KL2RR025015; H.J.T.); the Robert Wood Johnson Faculty Scholars Program (J.G.V.); and the National Institute for Nursing Research (5K22NR008672-02; J.G.V.).

Address correspondence to Hilaire J. Thompson, PhD, RN, CNRN, FAAN, Assistant Professor, The University of Washington, Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, Box 357266, Seattle, WA 98195-7266; e-mail: hilairet@u.washington.edu.