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The 5th Congress of Asia Pacific Society for the Study of Aging Male (APSSAM), in Conjunction with the 9th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Men's Health and the 4th Japan-ASEAN Men's Health & Aging Conference

It is a great honor and privilege to welcome you to the 5th Congress of the Asia Pacific Society for the Study of Aging Male (APSSAM), in conjunction with the 9th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Men’s Health (JSMH) and the 4th Japan-ASEAN Men’s Health & Aging Conference (JAMHAC) to be held in Osaka Convention Center and Rihga Royal Hotel, Osaka, Japan from October 15th to 18th 2009. It is estimated that the aging population in the Asia Pacific Region will more than double by 2025, with increasing numbers of men suffering from various disorders, such as weakness in bone and muscle, depression and diseases of the cardiovascular system and metabolism, including ED. Generally, one can conclude that the current prevalence of aging males in the Asia Pacific Region is as high as in the West. However, with the two major risk factors throughout this region, i.e. obesity leading to diabetes and CVD, and cigarette smoking (more than three-fold higher than in the West), the incidence of diseases in aging males in the Asia Pacific region will escalate very rapidly. Additionally, the commonness of voiding dysfunctions and urogenital cancers, especially prostate diseases, has become one of the most important issues in the Asia Pacific Region, the same as in the West. The aforementioned current trends with regard to management of aging males in the Asia Pacific region are compounded by the majority of primary care physicians who feel that aging is not a serious medical condition or may tend to rely on the ease of existing oral medications without prescribing change of life style. Current evidence-based knowledge on the causes and treatment of disorders in the aging male is generally lacking. Finally, removing the hurdles to more pragmatic management of aging males in Asia Pacific region seems to be necessary. As Congress Chairman, I express my great appreciation to those who have devoted their time and effort for preparing to this congress. This meeting will provide an excellent forum for many scientists to exchange knowledge and experiences in the field of men’s health and the aging male. I would like to especially thank our many sponsors who have made the various events of this congress possible. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to Professor Bruno Lunenfeld, President of ISSAM, Professor Yoshiaki Kumamoto, President of JSMH, Professor Dato’ Hui Meng Tan, Secretary General and Founder of APSSAM and JAMHAC, for outstanding advice, and additionally, to Professor Nam Cheol Park, Secretary General of Asia Pacific Society for Sexual Medicine (APSSM), for information on the recent progress of sexual medicine. I believe that these four days in Osaka, in the most beautiful season in Japan, will offer a memorable experience for all of you, with further friendships, and initiate and strengthen scientific collaboration between countries.