title: Behavioral medicine and aging.
abstract: A brief history of behavioral medicine and aging is followed by a series of perspectives that help to understand how age is used as a variable in this research, the relative importance of age to declines in cognitive functioning, and the impact of behavioral risk indicators on healthy survival. The authors discuss Alzheimer's disease and the role of age in clinical practice. Also discussed are potential problems in age-related research, ways to improve the knowledge base in behavioral medicine and aging, and thoughts about future challenges to enhance work in behavioral medicine and aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. ilene.siegler@duke.edu
authors.forename: Ilene C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Siegler
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bastian
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Steffens
authors.forename: Hayden B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Bosworth
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D001524:Behavioral Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male