IOF-Servier Young Investigator Research Grant was awarded to Charlotte Beaudart and Emmanuel Biver MD at the opening of the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, taking place from April 2-5 in Seville, Spain. The Award winners' joint project aims to develop and validate a sarcopenia-specific quality-of-life (QoL) tool, which will then be used to assess the impact of the disease on QoL in two prospective cohorts.
Sarcopenia, which affects seniors, is characterized by loss of muscle mass and strength, which in turn affects balance, gait and overall ability to perform tasks of daily living.
John A. Kanis, IOF President, stated "Although approximately 30% of the population aged 80 years or older suffers functional disability due to sarcopenia, the impact of this disease on sufferers remains poorly investigated. This is largely because of the lack of specific validated questionnaires to measure QoL. The development of such a tool is therefore an important first step which will be of assistance in the development and assessment of interventions against the disease."
The prestigious Grant valued at 40,000 EUR, is offered by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) with the support of Servier. Awarded every two years since 2000, the Grant recognizes original research of high scientific value and international relevance by young scientists aged 40 years or under. The winning project must be consistent with the objectives of the IOF, ultimately contributing to better preventive strategies and improved care of people with bone, muscle and joint diseases.
Dr Laurence Alliot, Director of International Medical Communication at Servier commented, "Servier is very proud of its support for deserving projects by young researchers in the musculoskeletal field. We hope that the development of a tool to measure the impact of sarcopenia will ultimately contribute towards the health and well-being of seniors worldwide."
Notes to Editors
Charlotte Beaudart, is a PhD student at the Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Economics, University of Liège and Emmanuel Biver MD, is at the Department of Bone Diseases, University Hospital of Geneva.
About IOF
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world's largest nongovernmental organization dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including committees of scientific researchers, leading companies, as well as more than 200 patient, medical and research societies, work together to make bone, joint and muscle health a worldwide heath care priority. http://www.iofbonehealth.org ; http://www.facebook.com/iofbonehealth; http://twitter.com/iofbonehealth
Information about the IOF-ESCEO World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthitis and Musculoskeletal Diseases is available at http://www.wco-iof-esceo.org
Media contact
Charanjit K. Jagait, PhD
Communications Director, International Osteoporosis Foundation
Tel.: +41 22 994 01 02 • Mob.: +41 79 874 52 08 • Email: cjagait@iofbonehealth.org