Diet, exercise and environmental exposure greatly influence the aging process and the development of chronic disease. What remains unclear still is exactly how. Research into prevention of age-related disease and the government's response to these issues is the focus of "Age-Related Disease: Prevention and the Environment," a daylong symposium Nov. 3 at UC Davis. Leading researchers in epidemiology, nutrition, cardiology, neurology and other disciplines will present topics such as the relationship between nutrition and the aging of cells, the effects of exercise on Alzheimer's disease, how new techniques for detecting mutations may help prevent and treat cancer, and how caloric restriction can extend life span in primates. The day will conclude with a panel discussion of policies to meet the health challenges of an aging population. If the public is informed what factors affect their health and can take action, says Fumio Matsumura, director of the Center for Environmental Health Sciences at UC Davis, debilitating health problems are not inevitable for older people. The symposium, sponsored by the Center for Environmental Health Sciences in cooperation with the UC Davis School of Medicine Center for Aging and Health, begins at 8:30 a.m. and will be held at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.