Baltimore Longitudinal Study Of Aging (BLSA)

The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) is one of the biggest and longest-running researches ever performed which focuses on aging (gerontology) in America. It began in 1958 and it was initiated by Nathan Stock who was, at that time, the chief of gerontology branch and William Peter who was a missionary doctor and retired public health service officer. This comprehensive study aims to verify “normal aging” by collecting a series of information from the same respondents over a long period of time. Specifically, BLSA targets to describe changes in relation to aging, verify factors which influence the rate of change, and determine the complex interrelationships concerning various diseases and aging. Some of the findings include: personality is pretty much permanent after puberty; longevity is influenced by both nurture and nature; there is a link between prostate cancer and prostate-specific antigen levels; and cardiovascular disease is related with artery changes due to aging.