Nutrients Webinar | Nutritional Support as Part of the Management of Osteoporosis and Frailty in the Elderly: Challenges and Opportunities
the chair
30th Nutrients Webinar
Nutritional Support as Part of the Management of Osteoporosis and Frailty in the Elderly: Challenges and Opportunities
Dear colleagues, distinguished speakers, and guests,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to today’s webinar, “Nutritional Support as Part of the Management of Osteoporosis and Frailty in the Elderly: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Over the past decades, global life expectancy has increased significantly, and with this demographic shift, osteoporosis and frailty have emerged as major clinical and public health concerns. These conditions are closely linked to falls, fractures, functional decline, loss of independence, and increased healthcare burden. Their impact extends far beyond individual patients, affecting families, care systems, and societies as a whole.
Nutrition has become an increasingly important component of prevention and management strategies in this field. Adequate intake of protein, calcium, vitamin D, and other key nutrients, together with individualized nutritional interventions, can play a central role in preserving bone health, maintaining muscle mass and function, and improving overall resilience in older adults.
Yet, despite growing evidence, translating knowledge into routine practice remains challenging. Older patients often present with multimorbidity, polypharmacy, reduced appetite, swallowing difficulties, social isolation, and limited access to tailored dietary support. In addition, screening pathways are not always standardized, and nutritional care is still not consistently integrated into multidisciplinary management models for osteoporosis and frailty.
This is where current research and clinical innovation are most needed. We must strengthen the links between nutritional science, geriatrics, endocrinology, rehabilitation, and primary care. We must also improve risk stratification, early identification, intervention timing, and long-term adherence, while ensuring that care strategies are feasible in real-world settings.
This webinar provides an important platform to address these priorities. It is an opportunity to exchange perspectives, share emerging evidence, discuss practical solutions, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. By bringing together experts from different specialties and healthcare contexts, we can move closer to more effective, patient-centered, and sustainable care for older adults.
I encourage all participants to engage actively in today’s session, ask questions, and contribute to the discussion. Meaningful dialogue and collaboration are essential if we are to turn current challenges into real opportunities for better management of osteoporosis and frailty in the elderly.
Thank you for joining us, and I wish you an inspiring and productive webinar.
Date: 19 October 2026
Time: 19:30 CEST | 18:30 BST | 13:30 EDT
Webinar ID: 890 5105 4745
Webinar Secretarial: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet Our Chair
Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK;School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand;I am a clinically active epidemiologist and rheumatologist. I trained in medicine at Cambridge University, UK and completed my PhD at the MRC Unit Southampton University, researching the developmental origins of osteoporosis. I was awarded a Wellcome Training Fellowship in Epidemiology to undertake this work, and on receipt of my doctorate remained at Southampton as a Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Principal Investigator of the Hertfordshire Cohort Study, until I took up a position as Professor of Clinical Research at Victoria University of Wellington in 2011. I now divide my time between the UK (University of Southampton) and New Zealand.
Meet Our Speakers
MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Southampton, UK;Dr Faidra Laskou is an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Rheumatology at the University of Southampton. She is a member of the Institute for Life Sciences, the Centre for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, and the Institute of Developmental Sciences. Her research focuses on musculoskeletal health, bone health in rheumatoid arthritis, biological ageing, falls risk, and evidence synthesis supporting EULAR clinical guidelines. She has published widely in rheumatology and ageing research and is a multiple recipient of IOF Young Investigator Awards (2021–2026) and an IOF Nutrition Research Grant.
Prof. Dr. Kate Ward
MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Southampton, UK;Professor Kate Ward is Professor of Global Musculoskeletal Health and Associate Dean (International) at the University of Southampton. She serves as Director of the NIHR Global Health Nutrition Research Group, with honorary appointments at the MRC Unit The Gambia (LSHTM) and the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Her research covers lifecourse musculoskeletal health, bone‑muscle interactions, nutrition, and musculoskeletal epidemiology across the UK and Sub‑Saharan Africa. She leads multiple large international grants, co‑directs the Sub‑Saharan Africa Musculoskeletal Network (SAMSON), and holds editorial and leadership roles within major global bone‑health organisations. She has authored over 170 peer‑reviewed publications.
University of Southampton, Southampton, UK;Dr Harnish Patel (BM, BSc, PhD, FRCP) is a Consultant Physician in Medicine for Older People at University Hospital Southampton, Lead Medical Examiner for Southampton, and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Southampton. His research focuses on sarcopenia, frailty and musculoskeletal ageing across life‑course and molecular levels. He is Principal Investigator for the Hertfordshire Sarcopenia Study (HSS), established a muscle primary‑cell biobank, and has led multiple large grants exploring older‑adult muscle‑bone health including COVID‑19‑related musculoskeletal research. He serves as Associate Editor for Age and Ageing and Geriatrics, and holds national clinical excellence and mentoring awards.
