b'AGING IN THE 21ST CENTURYFOREWORDAn aging population is a sign of success by the HRS address those needs. Reflecting this,Important oversight and direction are provid-success at increasing life expectancy and man- the themes of the chapters are analytical anded by the HRS Data Monitoring Committee mem-aging family size. It is also a challenge. The rapidintegrative rather than descriptive as was anbers: James Smith (RAND), Katherine Baicker growth of the older population means that theearlier volume of HRS findings titled Growing(Harvard), David Bennett (Rush University number of retirees will grow relative to the num- Older in America. The other key feature of the HRSMedical Center), Lisa Berkman (Harvard), Carol ber of workers even though people are workingis the public sharing of data which enables vastlyBrayne (University of Cambridge), Richard longer. It means that the burden of Alzheimersgreater scientific discovery than would be possibleBurkhauser (Cornell), Steve Cole (UCLA), Kenneth disease and related dementias will grow even ifwith a narrow team of investigators. While thisCovinsky (UCSF), Mark Duggan (Stanford), the recent trends toward lower rates of the dis- volume reviews a large swath of the researchRichard Kulka (Abt Assoc.), Margie E. Lachman ease continue. The demographic pressures of anoutput using HRS research, it is only a fraction of(Brandeis), Nicole Maestas (Harvard), Terrie aging population are being felt everywhere in thewhat the scientific community has produced.Moffitt (Duke), Brent W. Roberts (University of world. In the US, the timing of aging is driven byWe gratefully acknowledge financial supportIllinois), and Teresa Seeman (UCLA).the Baby Boom generation which is now enteringand scientific cooperation from the NationalAmanda Sonnega wrote this book and man-retirement in record numbers and will in twentyInstitute on Aging (NIA U010009740) andaged all aspects of its production. We are grateful years similarly require record increases in nursingadditional co-funding and scientific input fromto Christianson Design for design work and to care. The need for high quality and reliable datathe Social Security Administration. Two indi- Leslie Banks, Stark Artisan, LLC for copyediting; on our aging population is more critical than ever. viduals loom large in the inception of the HRS.to Ryan McCammon, Mohammed Kabeto, and The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) wasRichard Suzman was the Director of the Office ofChichun Fang for data analysis help; and to designed more than a quarter century ago to pro- Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) at the NIAKelsey Zimmerman for assistance with a range vide data for research on aging as an individualuntil his untimely death in 2015. Together withof production tasks. For their careful review of experience as well as a population phenomenon.HRS first Director, F. Thomas Juster, he providedvarious chapters, we thank Charlie Brown, Eileen The studys combination of longitudinal datavision and leadership to create and build theCrimmins, Michael Hurd, Alan Gustman, Ken on health, retirement, disability, resources, andstudy we have today.Langa, Olivia Mitchell, Jim Smith, John Haaga, family support offers unprecedented opportu- Many individuals and institutions contributeand Vicky Cahan.nities to analyze and gain insight into our agingto the ongoing planning, design, development andFinally, and most importantly, we thank the selves. Elucidating the complex interplay ofadministration of the study, especially a highlyover 30,000 Americans who have shared their health and retirement, of biology and individualdistinguished multidisciplinary team of co-inves- lives with us to make our vision of a broadly choice, is at the heart of HRS objectives. Broadtigators at the University of Michigan and othernationally representative multidisciplinary lon-multi-disciplinary measurement is essential toinstitutions nationwide: Charles C. Brown, Eileengitudinal study a reality. Our gratitude to them that mission. Because life changes, and we with it,M. Crimmins, Jessica D. Faul, Michael D. Hurd,knows no bounds.a study of aging needs to be able to track changeSharon L. R. Kardia, Kenneth M. Langa, Helen G. by longitudinal measurement.Levy, John J. McArdle, Kathleen McGarry, OliviaDavid WeirThis book aims to illustrate how theS. Mitchell, Mary Beth Ofstedal, Jacqui Smith,Director multi-disciplinary and longitudinal data collectedRobert B. Wallace, and Robert J. Willis. Health and Retirement Study6'