Renee Juhans 
Headquarters, Washington, DC                   May 19, 1999
(Phone:  202/358-1712)

Peter Cleary
American Federation for Aging Research
New York, NY
(Phone:  212/752-2327)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N99-30

GLENN TO DISCUSS SPACE FLIGHT, AGING STUDIES MAY 25

     Former Ohio Sen. John Glenn will discuss the significance of 
space flight for aging research and share perspectives from his 
recent space flight as part of a media briefing on May 25 at the 
National Press Club.  

      The media briefing will last from 8:30 a.m. - noon EDT at 
the Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC.  Media 
representatives are welcome to attend this event on a first-come, 
first-reserved basis.  To reserve a seat, contact Peter Cleary at 
212/752-2327.

      The briefing, sponsored by the American Federation for Aging 
Research and NASA, will feature Glenn's talk, remarks by Sen. John 
Breaux, Senate Special Committee on Aging, and two panel 
discussions followed by question-and-answer sessions.

     A panel of academic leaders will talk about the latest 
findings on aging research related to muscle and exercise, balance 
disorder, disrupted sleep and altered biological rhythms and bone 
disease.  

     Panelists include Ambassador Julia Alvarez, Dominican 
Republic; Dr. Daniel Bikle, University of California at San 
Francisco; Dr. Owen Black, Oregon University; Dr. Bill Evans, 
University of Arkansas; Dr. Charles Czeisler, Harvard University; 
Dick Sprott, Ellison Foundation; and Dr. Jeannette Takamura, 
Assistant Secretary for Aging, Department of Health and Human 
Services.

      Studies of age-related health problems show that the elderly 
experience symptoms similar to those encountered by astronauts 
adapting to the microgravity environment of space flight, 
especially after returning from space.  Collaborative research 
efforts between gerontologists and space life scientists in this 
area have been very productive. 

                             -end-