[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6334704,"mediaKeyId","2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5","parentId",2295135,"title","Family Physician Urges Long-Term Funding for Community Health Centers, Pilot Medicare Meals and SNAP Access for Older Adults","audioSeconds",491,"startMs",2215000,"endMs",2706000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5&start=2215&end=2706","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5/thumbnail_2215000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6334704/Family-Physician-Urges-Long-Term-Funding-for-Community-Health-Centers-Pilot-Medicare-Meals-and-SNAP-Access-for-Older-Adults","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334704-66b2212e6b2222c4416acbf4169ea5bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497922&Signature=nushdqavduBtknRRoYZKznVPUkQvClJbi4N0XvZyz4K14rMnyKeyWSrYpmr6YBmNM6wmh452h~30dRl3MGECzyGOSWSlLYuCs7A6S7AGGmAttOZYMMx4IMdvI~C~HheeUGEFcyeGCXhhYdZjW-Ku-T7wKandQPmhW0ppajJ8fWtiTpMunnxFWDNcryVEjpBJc-SY64lTxzYDdLCMo06a~jrkizYIsDDKyaqoRY4CxFLSU2BXSgab9in-1Jv1dySXQsiZrL2WHz2yADlpftAqWA4AM0p1BcQMPCfO8rmfv79uC3~MkV9LUZcgtKCtwMeRO4S8TmwLLLV94GcNatj7nQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Aging (Special)","date","2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","article","Dr. Sarah Nossal, a practicing family physician in the South Bronx and president‑elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told the Senate Special Committee on Aging that social determinants of health prevent many patients from following clinical advice. Nossal described patients who could not refrigerate insulin because of utility shutoffs, who faced four flights of stairs to reach public transit with a walker, or who lacked nearby grocery stores with affordable whole foods.

Nossal urged Congress to make long‑term funding for community health centers (CHCs) and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THC GME) program a priority; she told senators both programs were currently funded only through March 31 (the fiscal timing cited in testimony). Nossal said CHCs often serve as the only accessible care setting for Medicaid beneficiaries and that THC GME has a high success rate retaining residents in communities of need.

On nutrition, Nossal described medically tailored meals and programs that use Medicaid authorities to provide meals to whole households as promising interventions. During Q&A, senators and witnesses discussed the potential for Medicare pilots to cover medically tailored meals for beneficiaries with diet‑impacted conditions and for SNAP and Meals‑on‑Wheels to be leveraged for home-delivered nutritious meals for older adults who cannot cook.

Why it matters: Nossal argued that clinical counseling about diet and exercise is insufficient unless structural barriers — housing, transportation, food access and affordability — are addressed. She said CHCs are efficient in spending and essential for underserved communities, and that temporary funding for CHCs and THC GME threatens care access and training pipelines.

Ending: Nossal urged Congress to consider long‑term appropriation for CHCs and THC GME and to explore pilots and policy changes that expand access to medically tailored and delivered nutritious meals for older and food‑insecure patients.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Optimizing Longevity: From Research to Action Feb 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Dr. Sarah Nossal told the Senate Aging Committee that clinical counseling on diet and exercise is ineffective unless communities provide access to healthy food, safe places to exercise and stable housing; she urged long-term funding for community health centers and teaching‑health‑center graduate medical education.","taxTitle","Aging (Special), Special, Select and Other Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",2006,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6334709,"Blue Zones Founder Tells Senate Cities Can Cut Health Costs by Redesigning Streets, Food Environments",608,3178000,3786000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5&start=3178&end=3786","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5/thumbnail_3178000.jpg","/articles/6334709/Blue-Zones-Founder-Tells-Senate-Cities-Can-Cut-Health-Costs-by-Redesigning-Streets-Food-Environments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334709-b836dd73699ce6576e4780833d1d11eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497922&Signature=Kw473BoqO06ar14dEfxli-KWqjkp7f5BOYryDqo~OUbUm0kSiFeEwKs1EynQE74OaIipp9mGtH-bepdM9yjtU~zMFdO7xh3hIukzn1u9ecViTEIePb~ExiAQxHMAiEhfG1kDGKgoKvItiZsMDSwJic25npvdBEnMTUcwFJcS25MIHPDUMEz11vvrCWXNCNQK1E2XPbGfIjqEyllyq244r-hRuBCRmTeBRULV~ZUY2iZ13ONfIydbyYmtwgqxtlFFFUEBFtChKwGSiUaeYfh1ZT-3V8obIXHzTey-lHu3cyREI-n3rTZqcgQ50WSjrcs58~jPRNAs8IjJMf9eIHQOow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones, told the Senate Special Committee on Aging that community design can produce measurable health and cost benefits without necessarily increasing public spending. Buettner summarized Blue Zones work to help municipalities implement policy and place changes that encourage walking, plant-forward diets, and social connection.

‘‘Make the healthy choice the easy choice,’’ Buettner said, describing a menu of municipal policies in three domains — built environment, food environment and tobacco control — that his team offers to cities. Buettner cited several municipal outcomes his organization tracked after communities adopted Blue Zones measures: a 30% drop in city-worker health-care costs in Albert Lea, Minn.; roughly a 25% drop in obesity in the Beach Cities of California over a decade; and an asserted $250 million in health‑care cost savings in Fort Worth, Texas after five years of interventions.

Buettner emphasized low‑cost actions that alter defaults: adopting ‘‘complete streets’’ policies when roadways are resurfaced so streets invite walking and cycling; limiting fast-food permits near neighborhoods; investing in culinary education at food banks and churches; and creating social opportunities to reduce isolation. He said small changes at scale — pedestrian-friendly streets, reduced outdoor junk‑food marketing and community cooking classes — can substantially increase daily physical activity and change diets.

Why it matters: Buettner framed municipal policy as a rapid lever for health improvement, noting that federal programs and individual behavior change alone have not produced the observed results in many U.S. communities. He argued cities can often act faster than the federal government and that evidence-based local policies can produce population-level gains.

Ending: Buettner asked senators to empower and show models for city-level action rather than seeking a single ‘‘silver‑bullet’’ cure, and to consider policies that help municipalities reconfigure built and food environments to favor health.","Dan Buettner described municipal 'Blue Zones' work that uses policy and place changes to nudge healthier behaviors — citing examples from Albert Lea, Minn.; Beach Cities, Calif.; and Fort Worth, Texas — and urged local action to make the healthy choice the easy choice.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6334714,"Witnesses Urge Congress to Boost Aging Research, Develop FDA Pathways and Expand Biomarker Trials",577,1873000,2450000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5&start=1873&end=2450","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5/thumbnail_1873000.jpg","/articles/6334714/Witnesses-Urge-Congress-to-Boost-Aging-Research-Develop-FDA-Pathways-and-Expand-Biomarker-Trials","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334714-b988de3b45972d30d7418d876261a095/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497922&Signature=UlKhxFiyNIUE2M2P5GWJLgHxcVo9ljzwc30Zv92lfa1R15H7BzObWPd0cQygWumuC63IvnVpdd~vOJQLwb728SAxUvBIzhiM0UdZ3tNA0T42p2F5nNM1UnV9cuGst93bamx7Cw8bbXee4bjeAvCvU4V1O9x9JlKTCbfxneaHA38dZDf9VPL-rNMIpuye1bn3OCXI7suk4nA5dtsQKfL~uA75TGGe33HulK~KvhzleR3SzVWSuYqpD12QpYw6P6QFWr16jqIOlwQf~ahhgyOur7iAEmAqwp7CcYZ4lpa4hhms-qfCwUjbhOj5BLEok5byUk8p2FE0BCxcV-VvzqPT3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, told the Senate Special Committee on Aging that aging is ‘‘the greatest risk factor’’ for chronic diseases and that the field is at an inflection point. Verdin urged Congress to increase NIH funding for molecular aging research and to support work that translates laboratory findings into human applications.

‘‘The science is at a turning point,’’ Verdin said. He recommended development of validated biomarkers of aging that would allow researchers to test interventions in far shorter time frames than traditional long‑term outcome trials. Those markers, he said, would let researchers and regulators measure whether a drug, lifestyle intervention or other therapy alters biological aging within months to a few years rather than decades.

Verdin and other witnesses also flagged regulatory uncertainty as an obstacle: without clear Food and Drug Administration guidance on ‘‘aging-target’’ therapies, private investment and drug development are constrained. Verdin recommended a policy approach that pairs increased basic research funding with incentives and pathways to translate discoveries into clinical practice.

Why it matters: witnesses argued that even if one major disease were cured, population life expectancy would increase only modestly unless the aging process itself is addressed. They said a focus on aging biology could compress late‑life disease and reduce long‑term health-care costs.

Discussion points included: what metrics would qualify as reliable biomarkers of aging; funding levels and the effects of proposed NIH cuts; and the role of public‑private partnerships in moving therapies from animal models to humans.

Ending: Verdin told senators that a sustained federal research commitment and clearer regulatory pathways could help shift the nation’s approach from treating late-life disease toward preventing it by targeting aging mechanisms.","Scientists at a Senate hearing said aging biology research is at a turning point and urged increased NIH funding, clearer FDA regulatory guidance for aging-targeted therapies, and investment in biomarkers to speed trials and translation.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6334719,"Senate Aging Hearing Spotlights Prevention: Exercise, Nutrition and Social Ties as Core to Longer, Healthier Lives",4731,1147000,5878000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5&start=1147&end=5878","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2295135-2d07a72f2518de1d54c92bbd38dbc2d5/thumbnail_1147000.jpg","/articles/6334719/Senate-Aging-Hearing-Spotlights-Prevention-Exercise-Nutrition-and-Social-Ties-as-Core-to-Longer-Healthier-Lives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6334719-f59a5f9c5e898291277ecc8655bf0941/orig.mp4?Expires=1770497922&Signature=RVR1NHEWHpf1ePDb8flLzlihfUOU~pN0S4c1gSRu51Vot9vDEG0545cZlsNEAlNzr0PEhTVVsEDknSY98cf0rCXctY2uanw4q0JRwZufjLL84Eg2oR4GmyOVCXJjzKC9XMP0~-EBkYD5fYT5Yf3IW1epuNqzOqego906atdKOBiF~f7fy5EwjrDsCEs-3jgsP6~uTFPN3XfEz~brCu1MCBbwWijOc2XeAu8PFCvb3Ha2wWQJuYr3VsgVTVy6DvyDaB2ngjU~9-YVksBz~Yg5KMjyq6Fi2vTe6yzC6PNXXVAj6mJTLNin0O-~Qvv04u2g1IspWkHSx7Pse9ibD-INOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chairman Tim Scott convened a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing focused on healthy longevity, telling the panel the goal was to extend not only lifespan but ‘‘health span’’ — the years lived free of disease or disability. The committee heard from four witnesses representing research, clinical practice and community interventions: scientist and health educator Dr. Rhonda Patrick; Dr. Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging; family physician Dr. Sarah Nossal, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians; and Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner.

The witnesses told senators that lifestyle factors — physical activity, diet, sleep, stress management and social connection — account for a large share of differences in health and longevity and should be central to federal policy. ‘‘Obesity is not inevitable...It is something that can be prevented,’’ said Dr. Rhonda Patrick, who emphasized resistance training, micronutrient status and reducing ultra‑processed foods. Dr. Eric Verdin argued that ‘‘aging is the greatest risk factor and the main driver for these chronic diseases of aging,’’ and said research that targets aging mechanisms should be paired with stronger emphasis on lifestyle change. Dr. Sarah Nossal added that ‘‘food and exercise can only be medicine if they are easily accessible’’ for patients.

Why it matters: witnesses framed chronic illness as the main driver of U.S. health-care spending and as largely preventable if public policy and clinical guidance prioritize prevention. Dr. Patrick cited CDC-derived figures that about six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease and about four in 10 have two or more. Committee members repeatedly connected those health burdens to economic cost and to disparities in access to healthy food, safe places to exercise and primary care.

Key evidence and recommendations offered at the hearing included: updating federal physical-activity guidance to emphasize resistance training and brief ‘‘exercise snacks’’ throughout the day; expanding nutrition education in schools and medical training; increasing access to whole, minimally processed foods; supporting community design that encourages walking and social interaction; and accelerating translational aging research while developing regulatory pathways for therapies that target aging biology.

WITNESSES AND QUOTES
Dr. Rhonda Patrick (scientist/health educator) recommended clearer, actionable exercise guidance and highlighted muscle loss with age: ‘‘When the average American reaches age 50, they lose about 10% of their peak muscle mass. By the time they reach age 70, they're losing about 40% of their peak muscle mass.’’ Dr. Patrick also cited micronutrient shortfalls and high levels of ultra‑processed food consumption.

Dr. Eric Verdin (Buck Institute) said aging research is reaching a turning point and urged Congress to increase NIH support and to create regulatory clarity for therapies that target mechanisms of aging. He told senators the goal should be ‘‘to ensure those extra years are spent in health, dignity, and independence.’’

Dr. Sarah Nossal (family physician, Institute for Family Health) described clinical examples where social determinants — unstable housing, lack of electricity, food insecurity and transportation barriers — made recommended lifestyle changes impossible for her patients in the South Bronx.

Dan Buettner (Blue Zones) argued that environments that ‘‘make the healthy choice the easy choice’’ produce measurable gains in longevity and community health, citing municipal case examples (see related article on community interventions).

Discussion items for policymakers included the role of wearables and telehealth for remote populations, the potential for Medicare pilots for medically tailored meals, and whether SNAP and other federal nutrition programs could be better leveraged to promote health.

No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing; witnesses provided testimony and answered senators’ questions. The committee adjourned after a multi-hour hearing covering prevention, research and local policy approaches.

Ending: Senators and witnesses repeatedly returned to the same theme: a large portion of chronic disease risk is modifiable, and policy that combines new research, clinical guidance and community design could reduce illness and spending over time.","Witnesses at a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing urged shifting U.S. health policy from reactive care to prevention, emphasizing resistance exercise, whole-food diets, social connection and updated public guidance to reduce chronic disease and health-care spending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Family Physician Urges Long-Term Funding for Community Health Centers, Pilot Medicare Meals and SNAP Access for Older Adults

Blue Zones Founder Tells Senate Cities Can Cut Health Costs by Redesigning Streets, Food Environments

Witnesses Urge Congress to Boost Aging Research, Develop FDA Pathways and Expand Biomarker Trials

Senate Aging Hearing Spotlights Prevention: Exercise, Nutrition and Social Ties as Core to Longer, Healthier Lives