Latest research on obesity, diabetes, hormone replacement therapy to be presented

From reviewing the latest trends and clinical research in the field of endocrinology to debating the nation's obesity epidemic and the ethnic disparities in health care, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists' (AACE) Thirteenth Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress will highlight the current revolution in endocrinology. From April 28 through May 2, 2004, endocrinologists from around the world will gather in Boston to discuss vital aspects of scientific, technological, economic, social and political factors they face on a day-to-day basis.

Positioned at the forefront of some of the most significant challenges facing medicine today, the role of the endocrinologist is becoming more important than ever. Endocrinologists receive additional training to treat a variety of health issues such as obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease. These devastating diseases affect millions of Americans a year and cost the nation billions of health care dollars annually. The statistics are staggering: obesity kills 300,000 people each year in the United States and costs the country $117 billion in health care and lost revenues; an estimated 18.2 million Americans have diabetes with one in three going undiagnosed; more than 70% of Americans with heart disease are not maintaining a healthy cholesterol level.

New research presented at the meeting will help strengthen existing or shape new paradigms in the medical community. Experts will explore the latest in the debates over hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and genomic medicine. An in-depth analysis of other endocrine topics, such as reproductive medicine and thyroid disorders, will allow endocrinologists to better treat their patients and manage their diseases.

The meeting, entitled "Revolution in Endocrinology: Paradigms, Practice and Prevention," will be held April 28-May 2, 2004, at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Program topics will cover a variety of issues including:

• New research to tackle twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity
• HRT still a viable option for postmenopausal woman
• U.S. ethnic minority groups more likely to develop certain diseases and receive poor treatment
• New studies show that inflammation main cause of blocked arteries
• Insulin appears to do more than lower blood glucose
• Reimbursement for healthcare services: what's next after managed care?
• Revolutionary advances in fertility treatments to identify sperm fertilization potential
• The controversies surrounding treatment of subclinical hyperthyroidism

In addition to the above workshops, twenty-four Satellite Symposia covering related topics and a Poster Session offering an excellent opportunity for sharing new research findings will be held.

AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 4,600 members in the United States and 70 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders. AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine disease, such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.

For further information about AACE and the Annual Meeting, visit the AACE web site at www.aace.com.