In the opening ceremony, Dr. Bagher Larijani, President of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institue, described osteoporosis as a silent and chronic disease that can pose various complex challenges for the elderly.
He continued: "One of the most important of these challenges is the occurrence of fractures caused by osteoporosis, which seriously threatens the health of affected individuals."
Dr. Larijani emphasized: "According to a multi-center study on osteoporosis in Iran conducted in 2022, over 60% of women and approximately 30% of men aged 65 and older suffer from osteoporosis."
Dr. Larijani added: "Given the aging population, an increase in osteoporosis cases in the coming years is expected."
Referring to the results of a meta-analysis that showed a high incidence of fractures in the elderly Iranian population, the president of the research institute added: "Fractures often lead to dependency on others, a decline in quality of life, and even death."
The professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences continued: "It is important to note that osteoporosis is asymptomatic, and most patients are unaware of their condition and do not take any action to treat it or prevent fractures. This means that many patients only discover their disease when a fracture occurs. The problem is that, in some cases, even in developed countries, osteoporosis is not diagnosed after the first fracture, and appropriate treatment is not initiated for patients. Therefore, preventing these challenges and making the right decisions requires patient awareness and sensitization of physicians regarding this issue."
The seminar on  osteoporosis updates aimed to present the latest scientific findings in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis. In this event, prominent professors in the field of health gave presentations and answered participants' questions.