Introduction of Abstracts to be Presented at the Sixth Chinese Congress on Gerontology and Health Industry.

It is again with great pleasure that we introduce the research work to be presented at the third Chinese Congress on Gerontology and Health Industry (CCGI), which is published in abstract form in this issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS). The CCGI is a national conference organized by the Chinese Geriatrics Society (CGS), Chinese Medical Association. The third CCGI conference will be held on September 12–14, 2014 in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, the People’s Republic of China. Held in the same city on September 13-15 of last year, the second CCGI conference, received very positive feedback in China and proved to be a great success, with 182 abstracts published by JAGS September 2013 supplement issue [J Am Geriatr Soc 2013; 61 (S3): S307–S370]. As a result, the number of collaborating professional organizations and government agencies related to geriatrics, gerontology, and senior healthcare has increased to 36 this year, compared to 32 last year. In addition, we have 191 quality abstracts to be included in this issue, about 5% increase from last year. Similar to the second CCGI conference last year, the work to be presented at the third CCGI conference this year encompasses many important areas of geriatrics and gerontology, from basic aging research to clinical trials; from clinical observation to large epidemiological studies; and from biological investigations to social and behavioral research. Studies concerning cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, malignancies, and other common age-dependent chronic conditions are abundant. Moreover, a number of abstracts describe important findings on genetic polymorphisms in Parkinson’s disease and cognitive impairment in the genetically homogeneous population in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest of China. Several others describe promising results from clinical trials of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for age-related chronic diseases. Also well represented are the cutting-edge basic aging research topics including stem cell biology, carcinogenesis, and cellular senescence. Publication of such exemplary work in geriatrics and gerontology in this supplement issue of JAGS will further our effort to promote meaningful scientific and scholarly exchange with the geriatrics community in the United States and around the world. To this end, we would like to thank again the leadership of JAGS, particularly Dr. Thomas Yoshikawa, Editor-in-Chief, and Mr. Kurt Polesky, Business Development Manager at Wiley for their support and effort in making this a success. As pointed out in JAGS September 2013 supplement issue, China has the largest aging population in the world. The need for the development of quality geriatrics care and aging research in that vast country is unprecedented. With the support from Chinese government agencies and the entire society, the current CGS leadership is dedicated to the development of standards for high quality geriatrics clinical care and education as well as advancement of gerontological research, a necessary step towards establishing geriatrics as a medical subspecialty in China. For instance, CGS is leading the way in developing and standardizing geriatric medicine textbooks as well as organizing national training courses for academic leaders in geriatrics and gerontology. In addition, US medical philanthropy such as the Milstein Medical Asian American Partnership (MMAAP) Foundation has established the Irma and Paul Milstein Program for Senior Health to provide private funding for further development of geriatric medicine and aging research programs in China. It is hoped that leaders in the US geriatrics community can partner with their colleagues in China to apply for such funding (see the MMAAP Foundation website www.mmaapf.org for details). Furthermore, the healthcare market in China has been recently opened to the private sector, and the Chinese government encourages the introduction of innovative geriatrics care models and senior healthcare management expertise to meet the healthcare needs of Chinese senior citizens, creating a unique opportunity for geriatrics *From the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5505 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA; The American Geriatrics Society, 40 Fulton St, New York, NY, 10038, USA; and Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese Great Wall Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, P. R. China.