Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How Old Is Too Old? Voters Will Decide As Biden Announces Reelection Bid
AP: Biden Launches 2024 Bid, Betting Record Will Top Age Worries
President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally announced that he is running for reelection in 2024, asking voters to give him more time to “finish the job” he began when he was sworn in to office and to set aside their concerns about extending the run of America’s oldest president for another four years. Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, is betting his first-term legislative achievements and more than 50 years of experience in Washington will count for more than concerns over his age. He faces a smooth path to winning his party’s nomination, with no serious Democratic rivals. But he’s still set for a hard-fought struggle to retain the presidency in a bitterly divided nation. (Miller, 4/25)
CNN: 'He's Lost That Old Twinkle': When A Young Joe Biden Criticized His Opponent's Age
President Joe Biden, who at 80 has had to confront questions about his age and mental acuity as he launches a reelection campaign for president, once ran a campaign that sharply attacked his opponent’s age. In 1972, Biden, then 29 years old and a local Delaware councilman, was running against incumbent Republican Sen. Cale Boggs who was 63 years old, a former two term governor and the state’s senior senator. “Cale doesn’t want to run, he’s lost that old twinkle in his eye he used to have,” Biden said of Boggs, who had originally wanted to retire but was persuaded to run for reelection. (Kaczynski and Alafriz, 4/25)
Also —
The New York Times: What Older Voters Say About Biden 2024: From ‘He’s Fine’ To ‘Oh, God’
Three years after older voters helped propel Mr. Biden to the Democratic presidential nomination, embracing his deep experience and perceived general-election appeal, his age is his biggest political liability as he moves toward another presidential run. ... The issue is particularly personal, however, for older voters who are inclined to like Mr. Biden, but often view his age through the prism of their own experiences. (Glueck, 4/22)
The Conversation: Biden's Age Raises Concerns. Yet In 1776, Americans Admired Old Sages
During a period when medicine and knowledge of human anatomy were all but rudimentary, old age terrified everyone. ... People in their 70s were usually decrepit when the American nation was young. But it would be wrong to assume that the founding generation simply despised old age. Young America admired venerable old sages – Moses of the Bible, first and foremost. (Valsania, 4/25)
Daily Mail Online: Biden's Age: Here Are The Oldest Presidents And Candidates In History
Joe Biden is already the oldest sitting president in history. In November he became the first person in his eighties to hold the Oval Office, and if he wins a second term he will be 86 by the time he leaves. That's nine years older than Ronald Reagan, who was 77 when he completed his second term in 1989. (Robinson and Laco, 4/25)
More news on aging —
Prevention.com: Study: Positivity Around Aging May Protect Seniors From Memory Problems
Issues with memory and thinking are more common as you get older, but it’s not a given that everyone will experience them. With that, it’s understandable to want to do what you can to get better if you find you’re suddenly being forgetful or struggling to think clearly. Now, a new study published in JAMA Open Network suggests that positive thinking about aging may help people better recover from mild cognitive impairment than those who don’t have as sunny an outlook. (Miller, 4/14)
SciTechDaily: Scientists Identify Brain Aging “Sweet Spot”
Indigenous communities residing in the tropical forests of lowland Bolivia have reported some of the lowest rates of heart disease and brain disease in recorded scientific history. Now, research conducted by the University of Southern California (USC) on the Tsimané and Mosetén communities indicates that a balanced combination of food consumption and physical activity can maximize healthy brain aging and decrease the likelihood of disease. (4/22)
SciTechDaily: Unlocking The Secrets Of Aging: Sirtuin Enzymes In The Spotlight
New scientific research provides insight into how an enzyme that helps regulate aging and other metabolic processes accesses our genetic material to modulate gene expression within the cell. A team led by Penn State researchers has produced images of a sirtuin enzyme bound to a nucleosome—a tightly packed complex of DNA and proteins called histones—showing how the enzyme navigates the nucleosome complex to access both DNA and histone proteins and clarifying how it functions in humans and other animals. (4/24)
