NEWS

Highlights of the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis
May 2002 - The World Congress on Osteoporosis (held May 10-15, Lisbon, Portugal) was organized by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), an organization made up of 139 member societies representing 71 countries. This was the largest meeting ever held in the field of osteoporosis, with over 5000 attendees seeking a better understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist.  

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for more than 28 million Americans, 80 percent of whom are women. In the U.S. today, 10 million individuals already have the disease and 18 million more have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.    

Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis or stooped posture. 

While osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are two very different medical conditions with little in common, the similarity of their names causes great confusion. These conditions develop differently, have different symptoms, are diagnosed differently, and are treated differently.   

For additional information about the similarities and differences between Osteoporosis and Arthritis, visit the Osteoporosis and Related Bone Disease~National Resource Center.  For more information about arthritis, visit FirstGov for Seniors Arthritis page.

The web sites below provide resources from government agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations.  Specifically, the web sites supply additional information about the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and current research about osteoporosis.   

Government Resources: 

Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center
The NIH ORBD~NRC was established in 1994 with a grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (NIAMS) of the National Institutes of Health to The National Osteoporosis Foundation.  Its mission is to provide patients, health professionals, and the public with an important link to resources and information on metabolic bone diseases, including osteoporosis, Paget's disease of the bone, osteogenesis imperfecta, and hyperparathyroidism. 

Administration on Aging Provides Links to Osteoporosis Web Sites  
The National Aging Information Center, sponsored by the Administration on Aging, provides links to osteoporosis websites containing consumer information, diagnosis and treatment statistics, and research aid education.    

Centers for Disease Control Provides Hip Fractures Report
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an online report entitled “Reducing Falls and Resulting Hip Fractures Among Older Women”.  The report found that hip fractures among women 65 and older have climbed 40 percent between 1988 and 1996 with about a third of older Americans suffering serious falls each year.  

National Institute on Aging Provides Osteoporosis Fact Sheet 
The National Institute on Aging provides information on osteoporosis diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. 

Food and Drug Administration Provides Osteoporosis Article
The article “Boning Up on Osteoporosis” originally appeared in the September 1996 FDA Consumer.
The version below is from a reprint of the original article and contains revisions made in August 1997.  

Medicare and Osteoporosis          
Find out what Medicare is doing about osteoporosis, what Medicare pays for, and who is eligible for a bone mass measurement test under Medicare.   

Private and Nonprofit Resources: 

National Osteoporosis Foundation  
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) was formally established in 1986 as the only nonprofit, voluntary health organization whose mission is to reduce and ultimately eliminate the widespread prevalence of osteoporosis through programs of research education and advocacy. This website provides a multitude of information about the osteoporosis, how to prevent it, educational materials and other information. 

Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education (FORE)
FORE is a non-profit resource center dedicated to preventing osteoporosis through research and education of the public and medical community to increase awareness of risk, detection, prevention and treatment.                       

Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, Inc.
The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, Inc. (OI Foundation) is the only voluntary national health organization dedicated to helping people cope with the problems associated with osteogenesis imperfecta.   

American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) is a professional medical/scientific society established to bring together clinical and experimental scientists involved in the study of bone and mineral metabolism. 

International Osteoporosis Foundation
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is an international non-governmental organization whose mission is to advance the understanding of osteoporosis and to promote prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease worldwide.  

The Calcium Information Resource     
This website is sponsored by SmithKline Beecham and provides information about calcium, links to other websites, a calcium calculator, and a specially designed children’s area. 

Dr. C. Everett Koop Provides Online Osteoporosis Information
Dr. Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General and current Chairman of drkoop.com, provides accurate and reliable healthcare information online.   

Doctor's Guide to Osteoporosis Information and Resources
The Doctor's Guide website provides the latest medical news and information on osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related disorders.  The Doctor's Guide can send the latest in osteoporosis developments to your email address.