title: Preface.
abstract: The elderly population is increasing worldwide. Never before in history have there been so many persons aged 60 years or older. This has multiple consequences and challenges for health systems and governments. Therefore, the promotion of research on aging is imperative, not only from a biological viewpoint but also from social, economic, and political standpoints. A better understanding of these phenomena will allow the formulation of new recommendations focused on the aging population and based on a solid scientific background, far from obsolete stereotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.|Centre de Recherche INSERM U1219, Bordeaux, F-33076 France.
authors.forename: José Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Avila-Funes
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Genetics Unit, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Silvestre
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frenk-Freund
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged