b'AGING IN THE 21ST CENTURYA signature feature of the HRS islarge population-representative surveys begun to What does HRSthe direct assessment of cog- integrate biological measurement to create bioso-Measure? nitive abilities and how theycial surveys that enable such discovery (Hauser The HRS has manychange with age. Informationand Weir 2010). In 2006, the HRS introduced a components. Theon health insurance andnew in-person interview, known as the enhanced heart of the study ismedical care are importantface-to-face interview (EFTF), that expanded to the core interviewfor understanding healthinclude the collection of a wide range of measures that takes place everyand the connections amongof physical function, dried blood spots for clinical two years. The corehealth, employment, andbiomarkers, and salivary DNA. Integrating interview takes abouteconomic resources.biology in this way puts the HRS at the forefront two hours to completeof biosocial surveys of aging.and constitutes the bulkEmploymentSince 2006, blood-based biomarkers mea-of the data the HRS collects.For many people, retirement is any- sured include cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglo-The first core interview, or baseline,thing but a simple one-step transition frombin (HbA1c), an indicator of blood sugar control is conducted face-to-face in participants homes.full-time work to no work at all. The HRS tracksover the past two to three months; C-reactive Follow-up core interviews are conducted either byall the different ways people retire and un-retireprotein (CRP), a general marker of systemic phone or face-to-face.and can relate these choices to their health, typeinflammation, and cystatin C, an indicator of There are currently twelve waves of coreof work, pension and health insurance coverage,kidney functioning. Beginning in 2014, a mea-data available from 1992 to 2014 with aboutand family situation. These data are invaluablesure of immune functioning and inflammation, 1823,000 participants in any given wave. Thein understanding the potential effects of newIL-6, is also assayed. Physical measures include core interview collects information on a range ofpolicies to encourage people to work longer.grip strength, timed walk, lung function, balance, factors related to well-being among older adults: height and weight, waist circumference, and Family Connectionsblood pressure.Income and WealthFamily background shapes health and economicThese biomarkers have been chosen in the Detailed characterizations of household incomeoutcomes throughout life. Family membersHRS to reflect important age-related changes in and wealth over time are hallmarks of the HRS.provide economic and emotional support andcardiovascular and metabolic functioning, levels Personal information like this can be difficult tooften provide physical care for each other.of inflammation, and organ reserve or frailty. obtain, but innovative data collection methodsUnderstanding these connections and how theyBiomarkers such as blood pressure, cholesterol used in the HRS have overcome many traditionalchange with age has been a central concernlevel, and glycosylated hemoglobin may indicate survey obstacles and continue to yield in-depthbehind the design of HRS from its beginning. preclinical problems which are unknown to sur-and reliable measures.vey participants, especially those without regular Creating a Biosocial Survey preventive health care. Markers of inflammation Health and Use of Health ServicesDisparities in health by race, education, andsuch as CRP and markers related to frailty such The HRS takes a multidimensional approach tosocioeconomic circumstances have been a policyas lung function, grip strength and cystatin C, are healthstudying the course of chronic diseasesconcern for generations, with little insight intopredictors of a number of major health outcomes and the evolution of functional capacities.the biological mechanisms. Only recently haveincluding mortality. 10'