About 10 million people in the United States have osteoporosis, making it the most prevalent bone disease in this country. An additional 18 million individuals in this country already have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for this disease.
Women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis once was believed to be an unavoidable consequence of aging. That view has changed in recent years, however, thanks to remarkable progress in the scientific understanding of its causes, diagnosis, and treatment. The NIH has organized this conference to help clarify the factors associated with prevention and better diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. The conference will bring together national and international experts in the fields of medicine, orthopedic surgery, endocrinology, rheumatology, nutrition, epidemiology, and biostatistics, as well as representatives from the public, to discuss the latest osteoporosis research findings. The panel will present its draft statement to the public for comment at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29.