A safe haven

Photo by Robert BostonProject ARK coordinates medical care, social support and prevention services for people who are infected, affected or at risk for HIV.

Washington University to host “Maximizing Civic Engagement of Older Adults,” an official White House Conference on Aging event, Feb. 15

With the first wave of baby boomers preparing for retirement, the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) will be an important opportunity to assess aging in America and improve the lives of older Americans. St. Louis will play a significant role in shaping the discussion at the conference through “Maximizing Civic Engagement of Older Adults,” a public forum and official WHCOA event hosted by the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and the Center for Aging at Washington University 9 a.m. Feb. 15 in Brown Lounge.

Hypertension in African Americans linked to two genomic regions

A first-of-its-kind application of a novel statistical method of analysis to African Americans has identified regions on chromosomes 6 and 21 that likely harbor genes contributing to high blood pressure in that group. The novel statistical method, called admixture mapping, narrowed the search for genes related to hypertension, bringing researchers and doctors closer to finding more effective treatments.

Children with Down syndrome can greatly benefit from early treatment

Early treatment is key with Down syndrome.Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, and its occurence is random 95 percent of the time. The condition can be detected during pregnancy, and intervention during infancy can greatly improve outcomes for children with Down syndrome. Learn more about this condition, which affects 350,000 Americans, in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article by WUSM pediatrician Kathy Grange.
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