Muscle, a major public health issue

Because muscles are a major public health issue, AFM-Telethon and the Institute of Myology, an international center of expertise on muscles and their diseases, are carrying out a project for a Myology Foundation. In addition, to raise awareness on myology among the public, they are launching two events dedicated to this public health issue in June 2023: the Muscle Conferences and Muscle Week.  

Towards a Foundation of Myology to study and treat the muscle with the best international teams

Two awareness events in 2023: the first “Muscle Conferences” and the first “Muscle Week”

Peeling a fruit. Typing in a code. Eating. Talking. Walking. Moving. Breathing… our movements and all our vital functions depend on the proper functioning of the 600 muscles in our body that make up 40% of our body mass.

Beyond their primary function (motor skills), studies have shown that the state of the muscles, by interacting with numerous organs and biological mechanisms (digestion, posture, regulation of body temperature, stress, cholesterol, reinforcement of the immune system, etc.), is a major determinant of the state of health of each individual. Moreover, while 400 neuromuscular diseases have been identified, muscle is also affected in the main chronic pathologies such as metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, but also cancer and diabetes, and can constitute a prognostic marker for these pathologies.

Muscle therefore represents a real public health issue but is not currently recognised as such and its scientific and medical study – myology – remains insufficiently recognised and taught.

However, over the last thirty years, the growth in knowledge about muscle, particularly under the impetus of the AFM-Telethon and the Institute of Myology, has made muscle a “model” and a source of multiple therapeutic innovations. Because of its predominant place in the human body and its transversal “role”, the muscle is at the heart of a discipline, myology, which should be taught as such and recognised.

To meet this public health challenge, the AFM-Telethon and the Institute of Myology, an international centre of expertise on muscle and its diseases, have decided to launch a major Foundation of Myology project in the heart of Paris, the aim of which is to study, diagnose, evaluate and treat muscle, whether healthy, diseased, aging or trained. In addition, they are launching two major events in 2023 dedicated to this public health issue:

⬥ The first “Muscle Conferences”, on June 1, 2023, at the Economic, Social and Environmental Council. The aim of these meetings is to raise awareness of the public health issue represented by muscles among politicians, institutions, health, prevention and education stakeholders, as well as the world of work and sport.

⬥ The first “Muscle Week”, from June 1 to 7, is a public awareness event throughout France. Activities will take place throughout France to make everyone aware of the importance of muscles in our daily balance and how vital it is to preserve our muscle capital.