WELCOME

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
On behalf of the Executive Council of ISSAM, the Faculty and the Organizing Committee, we take great pleasure in welcoming you to the 6th World Congress on The Aging Male.

Despite the enormous medical progress during the past few decades, the last years
of life are still accompanied by increasing ill health and disability. The ability to maintain independent living for as long as possible is a crucial factor of health and aging.

Therefore, the promotion of healthy aging and the prevention of disability in all older people must assume a central role in medical research and medical practice as wellas in the formulation of national health and social policies. Whilst gender specific aging of women and female health in general has been the focus of a coherent medical approach for many years, the healthcare of males in their aging years has tended to be piecemeal and somewhat uncoordinated. Effective programs promoting healthy aging will ensure a more efficient use of health and social services and improve the quality of life in older persons by enabling them to remain independent and productive.

In light of this, public awareness of medical knowledge needs to be increased and basic, clinical, socio-economic and epidemiological research intensified. This will necessitate a quantum leap in multi-disciplinary and internationally coordinated research efforts. Such efforts should be supported by the establishment of new partners between inter-governmental, governmental, industrial and voluntary sectors. All these considerations will be addressed here at The 6th World Congress on The Aging Male.

This Congress will demonstrate that interdisciplinary collaboration is possible, and can unite all the forces in this relatively new discipline. It truly displays our purpose to comprehensively examine the causes and consequences of male aging and its social and medical repercussions, with the goal being to improve the health status and quality of life in men. This meeting will bring together the most recent data presented by prominent scientists, on the many physical, metabolic and psychological
changes experienced by men as they age. We will highlight prostate gland changes,
testosterone metabolism, the metabolic syndrome, cardiological changes, osteoporosis, sexuality, mood and cognitive disorders and more.

Tampa is a part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area, most
commonly referred to as the ”Tampa Bay area”. With a number of exciting attractions and points of interest, Tampa offers many unique cultural, educational, and other
entertaining experiences to residents and visitors alike. Water lovers will enjoy the Busch Gardens & Adventure Island or the Florida Aquarium and sport fans have the opportunity to observe one of their favorite sports, as Tampa is home to several major professional teams including football, hockey, and spring training baseball.

We hope that you enjoy this fulfilling, rewarding and challenging congress and that you will be able to benefit from the open exchange of ideas and presentations of new research findings, while also enjoying the special ambiance of Tampa.

We look forward to welcoming you to Tampa, Florida.