"We now have clear evidence that in the future more and more aging Americans will develop fractures as a result of low bone mass and osteoporosis. These fractures are going to severely impact a person's ability to live a normal life and will cost our nation significant amounts of money in healthcare costs. We can work to prevent these fractures by gaining a better understanding of the causes of low bone mass and by identifying new therapies to treat osteoporosis and bone loss," noted Endocrine Society President Anthony Means, Ph.D.

Dr. Means also noted that this research will be costly and indicated that both public and private research dollars will be needed to make progress in the future. "Endocrinologists will be conducting the research to help patients understand how they can prevent bone loss as they age. Bone is a major target of sex hormones. The decrease of estrogen after menopause, for example, causes post-menopausal bone loss, which leads to osteoporosis as women age. In addition, bone mineral den
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