Breaking Ground in Bone Health: Key Takeaways from ISO 2025

Announcer:
You’re listening to On the Frontlines of Osteoporosis on ReachMD. And now, here’s your host, Marshall Miller.

Marshall Miller:
Coming to you from the 2025 Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis in Washington, DC, this is On the Frontlines of Osteoporosis on ReachMD. I'm Marshall Miller. Joining me to discuss the Symposium and its impactful education is Ami Patel, Vice President of Science and Education at the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. Ami, welcome and thank you so much for joining me today.

Ami Patel: 
Thank you so much for having me here.

Marshall Miller:
Ami, ReachMD, as you know, is a longtime partner with your wonderful organization. This year's event, it just feels like a big success. Can you give us a little overview of this year's national conference and touch on some of the main themes for us?

Ami Patel:
Why yes, I can. This year's ISO 2025 was held in the nation's capital of Washington, DC. It was truly a landmark event, bringing together experts across clinical disciplines to address the most pressing issues in bone health today. The main themes were wide-ranging and interconnected, including innovations in osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment, post-fracture care and secondary fracture prevention, chronic kidney disease and its impact on bone health, muscle, protein intake and their relationship to bone health, side effects and long-term management of osteoporosis medications, and bone health in special populations. Prevention and early intervention also took center stage, setting the tone for how bone health management is evolving.

Marshall Miller:
You brought together some of the superstars in the osteoporosis treatment world, and you filled the conference with terrific topics. What were some of the standout lectures and speakers that you'd like to highlight? 

Ami Patel: 
There are many standouts this year. A few of the highlights include Dr. Michael McClung’s plenary on the long-term management of osteoporosis, which offered clinical insights into sustained care strategies. Dr. Felicia Cosman spoke on goal-oriented care and redefined how clinicians can personalize treatment goals across the lifespan. 

The prestigious Royce Award lecture by Dr. Dempster explored the skeleton's emerging role as an endocrine organ connecting bone to broader systemic health. Dr. Bente Langdahl captivated audiences with two separate sessions. One was on discontinuing denosumab safely, and the second was on the complex relationship between obesity, GLP-1 agonists, and bone metabolism.

And of course, Dr. Lewiecki’s “Year in Review” brilliantly tied it all together by spotlighting the most influential studies and advancements clinicians should know heading into the next year. These sessions weren't just theoretical; they were filled with clinical pearls that providers can start using right away.

Marshall Miller:
What an amazing lineup, and I was happy to catch some of those lectures myself. I also saw a few that fell under the heading of “In the Clinic.” So how do you see scientific content from the conference shaping clinical practice in the near future? 

Ami Patel:
ISO 2025 delivered practical, actionable insights that clinicians can immediately apply. Some major takeaways include proactive osteoporosis screening becoming even more essential, especially with new tools and better understanding of skeletal health in patients, and managing side effects of osteoporosis medications, particularly long-term issues with agents like bisphosphonates and denosumab; this will empower clinicians to optimize treatment plans and minimize risks like atypical fractures or rebound effects.

The sessions on chronic kidney disease and bone health illuminated how clinicians must tailor diagnosis and treatment for patients with compromised kidney function and address complex mineral metabolism changes that can dramatically affect bone strength. New guidance around osteoporosis and bone health and premenopausal women will shape a more nuanced, individualized approach to care for younger women at risk, recognizing that their management pathways are distinct from postmenopausal women.

Emerging evidence discussed around muscle mass, protein intake, and bone strength emphasized the importance of integrating nutritional counseling and resistance exercise into osteoporosis prevention plans. In short, the conference reinforced the critical shift toward holistic, interdisciplinary, and life cycle-oriented osteoporosis care.

Marshall Miller: 
For those just tuning in, you’re listening to On the Frontlines of Osteoporosis on ReachMD. I'm Marshall Miller. I'm speaking with the Vice President of Science and Education at the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, Ami Patel. We're here at the 2025 Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis.

The symposium also features some sponsored education at breakfast and lunchtimes with your conference supporters. Ami, can you tell me a little bit about that?

Ami Patel:
Yes, and we would like to thank our generous supporters for ISO 2025. These sponsors also held some sponsored sessions, which helped the attendees learn more about individual disease states and treatment plans. Some of those included Paget's disease as well as topics that dealt with understanding individualized treatment plans for their specific patients.

Marshall Miller:
So Ami, plans are underway for ISO 2026. Can you give us any details about next year's symposium and how our audience might get more information? 

Ami Patel:
We're already gearing up for ISO 2026, and it's going to build on all the momentum from this year. While the full agenda is still being developed, expect deeper dives into emerging therapies, expanded focus on bone health in special and at-risk populations, and, of course, new interdisciplinary approaches to care that integrate musculoskeletal, endocrine, nephrology, nutrition, and geriatrics expertise.

To stay updated, visit the ISO Symposium website or follow the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation's social media pages. You can also sign up for email updates or reach out directly to the education team at education@bonehealthandosteoporosis.org. If you're serious about bone health and osteoporosis prevention, you will definitely want to be part of ISO 2026.

Marshall Miller: 
That is a great call to action for our listeners. And as we come to the end of today's program, I just want to thank my guest, Ami Patel, for joining me at the 2025 Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis and for all of the insightful chat. Ami, always great seeing you and wonderful speaking with you today.

Ami Patel:
Thank you for having me.

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