Issue 12 of the Longevity Bulletin explores the topic of pharmacology from a number of different perspectives and examines:
- whether the prescribing of too many medications is actually having a detrimental effect on health, and why the current system encourages over-prescribing
- the growth of epidemiology as a research area since the 1950s, looking at how it moved away from the medical field into academia, and why results from medical trials may not always be as robust as imagined
- the opioid epidemic in the United Kingdom and the United States, and the steps being taken to try to mitigate it
- the role of pharmacology in the treatment of diabetes and high cholesterol, and whether the statins used to treat high cholesterol have played a part in the increasing incidence of diabetes.
As well as these, you can read updates and news from the Continuing Mortality Investigation (CMI) and the IFoA.
Our contributors to this issue are drawn from a range of fields within academia, medicine and statistical modelling, and each bring a thought-provoking and expert perspective to the topic under investigation.
Share your thoughts on the bulletin
We welcome your feedback on this latest edition of the Longevity Bulletin, and are always open to suggestions for possible future topics. The IFoA’s Mortality Research Steering Committee is also keen to ensure that the IFoA’s mortality, longevity and morbidity research agenda is addressing relevant issues.
Please take the opportunity to share your thoughts by completing a short survey – it should take no more than a couple of minutes to complete.
Contact Details
For more information about the Longevity Bulletin or to subscribe please contact the Research and Knowledge Team.
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Events calendar
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Presidential Speaker Series - The New Long Life
Webinar26 January 2021Drawing from his most recent book “The New Long Life” and his longevity research Andrew J Scott will outline how longer lives and new technologies will fundamentally reshape how we structure our lives and transform the economy. As well as looking at the agenda this will set governments and corporates he will focus on the implications for you and how you prepare your future career.
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Pensions: Actuarial Factors used to Calculate Benefits in UK Pension Schemes
Webinar28 January 2021The IFoA’s Actuarial Review Team has published its first thematic review, which looked at the actuarial advice given by scheme actuaries to UK pension scheme trustees on setting transfer values and commutation rates.
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India Town Hall
Webinar28 January 2021IFoA Immediate Past President John Taylor would like to invite you to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ (IFoA) virtual India Town Hall 2021, hosted by John Taylor with IFoA Council Member Mahidhara Davangere and IFoA Chief Executive, Stephen Mann.
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Winter Thought Leadership Lecture with Vicky Pryce
Webinar3 February 2021What are the options for the world economy looking ahead?
In this Thought Leadership Lecture, Economist, Vicky Pryce, will be discussing world economic trends, including the differences in geographical performance and how output is recovering and where.
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Professional Skills Training Webinar - 9 February 2021
Webinar9 February 2021Trust and Leadership for Actuaries
Led by Dr. Jim Baxter, University of Leeds, this webinar introduces some key ideas in the ethics of trust, with a particular focus on those in, or on the path to, leadership roles. Dr Baxter is joined by a panel of experienced leaders who will give their personal perspectives on how they understand the value of trust and how they seek to promote and inspire trust, drawing on their experiences of leadership. The panel includes:
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Health and Care Hot Topics webinar
Online webinar10 February 2021In this webinar, we have two presentations showing the latest research on the implications for life and health insurers of two key issues: genomics and pandemic risk.
Dr Peter Joshi and Paul Timmers will share their research on how well-established underwriting processes can allow for genomics in predicting expected mortality and morbidity. They will then discuss the potential for stratified screening and personalised medicine to improve health and reduce claim costs.
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As the world’s attention begins to turn to COP26 later this year in Glasgow, Sarah Gordon (Chief Executive, Impact Investing Institute) will share her vision for how the financial services industry can deliver for people and the planet, as well as how to encourage more investment with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
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Sub-Saharan Africa Town Hall
26 February 2021IFoA Immediate Past President John Taylor would like to invite you to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ (IFoA) virtual SSA Town Hall 2021, hosted by John Taylor with IFoA Council Members Mukami Njeru, Prosper Matiashe and IFoA Chief Executive, Stephen Mann.
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MENAP Town Hall
2 March 2021IFoA Immediate Past President John Taylor would like to invite you to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ (IFoA) virtual MENAP Town Hall 2021, hosted by John Taylor and IFoA Chief Executive, Stephen Mann.