Aging women experience life changes differently than men. Data from the BLSA are being analyzed to compare: 1) gender similarities and differences in demographics; 2) frequency of common diseases among men and women; 3) drug treatment of these common diseases with the focus being on hypertension and changes in treatment; 4) the differential effects on biological markers of natural versus artificially induced menopause; 5) the prevalence of urinary stress incontinence in women and its relationship to the aging process; and 6) effects of estrogen on skin elastosis. In the past year slow progress has been made in these studies.
