Biomarkers of Aging in Diverse Populations

Written By Lauren Brown

Using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this work explores the use of biomarkers- and specifically telomere length (TL)- in conceptualizing and measuring race/ethnic differences in the rate of aging. Self-reports of disease states may underestimate and misrepresent health for older minorities who have been historically excluded from the health care system and often distrust and have less access to health care that provides diagnoses. From a research perspective, collecting biomarkers in a community based survey setting means that differential access to health care across respondents doesn’t bias the accuracy of data toward more advantaged groups. Biomarker measures can help quantify the aging process and generally have more variation than simple yes or no measures of a disease, condition or diagnosis. Nationally representative surveys like the HRS are now collecting biomarkers in respondents’ homes, making biological data available to both scientists who study health and allow for the sharing of data with study participants who may not know their current health status. A larger implication of biomarker collection in community based samples is that it provides a touch point to connect under and uninsured communities to needed health and social services.

Publications (full list on google scholar)

  1. Lauren L. Brown; Garcia, Catherine; Ailshire, Jennifer A. “Does Salivary Telomere Length Explain Race/Ethnic Differences in Aging?” Journal of Biodemography & Social Biology (Forthcoming).

  2. Mitchell, Uchechi A.; Dellor, Elinam D.; Sharif, Mienah Z.; Lauren L. Brown; Torres, Jacqueline M., Nyugen, Ann W. (2020). “When is hope enough? Hopefulness, discrimination and racial/ethnic disparities in allostatic load.” Behavioral Medicine 46:34, 189201, DOI: 10.1080/08964289.2020.1729086

  3. Lauren L. Brown; Mitchell, Colter; Ailshire, Jennifer A. (2018). “Does telomere length indicate biological, physical and cognitive health among older adults? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Survey.” The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 73, Issue 12, Pages 1626-1632, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/gly001. PMCID: PMC5926855

  4. Lauren L. Brown; Needham, Belinda; Ailshire, Jennifer A. (2017) “Telomere length among older U.S. adults: Differences by race/ethnicity, gender, and age.” Journal of Aging and Health. DOI: 10.1177/0898264316661390. PMID: 27469599

Lauren Brown
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