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A simple three-minute online assessment has been launched to help people identify their risk osteoporosis,
The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS)’s Great British Bone Check campaign, supported by the Queen, hopes to help people get early diagnosis and treatment.
The initiatives are as follows: YouGov 2,082 adults were surveyed for ROS. The results found that 79 percent said they never checked themselves bone health And 49 percent were unaware that women have a higher risk of fractures after menopause.
In light of this, Julia Thomson, nurse manager at ROS, has highlighted five silent risk factors for osteoporosis:
What is osteoporosis?
“Osteoporosis is a condition that makes bones more brittle and more likely to break,” Thomson explains.
NHS says it develops slowly over several years and is often diagnosed only when a bone is broken due to a fall or sudden impact.
According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, around 3.5 million people in the UK are estimated to have osteoporosis.
“Many people believe that osteoporosis only affects women, but we know that men are affected, too,” says Thomson. “One in two women over the age of 50 and 20 percent of men will break a bone as a result of osteoporosis.”
Nurse managers also highlight that the idea that osteoporosis always causes pain is another common misconception.
“It only hurts if you break something,” Thomson explains. “Having true fragility, brittle bones, does not cause injury or cause any symptoms. It is the broken bones that cause all the symptoms, problems, and pain that we associate with this condition.”
What are the main risk factors for osteoporosis?
1. Family History
“The Great British Bone Check is about identifying risk factors early to prevent fractures, and these risk factors include things like family history, so if you have osteoporosis in the family,” says Thomson.
For example, according to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, research shows that if one of your parents has broken a hip, you are more likely to break a bone yourself.
“It’s not as obvious as some other conditions where there’s a really strong genetic link, but there appears to be familial traits,” Thomson says.
2. Age
According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, we reach our peak bone health at age 30 and it naturally begins to decline as we get older.
“During childhood and adolescence we are all building our bones and there are two types of cells in bones, cells that break down bone, and cells that build bone,” Thomson explains. “During our childhood and adolescence, the cells that form bone work faster than the cells that break it down to form our skeleton.
“Then when we reach age 30 we plateau because both types of cells work at the same rate and at age 40, the cells that break down bone start working faster. So, we are all naturally starting to lose bone as a result of aging.”
However, Thomson emphasizes that osteoporosis is not just an “old people’s disease.”
“It can affect people around menopause and, more uncommonly, it can also affect people much younger than that,” says Thomson. “But, it’s usually caused by something else that has affected their risk of osteoporosis.”
3. Gender
“Osteoporosis is more common in women than men because women’s bones are less strong than men’s to begin with,” Thomson explains. “Also, during the time of menopause we begin to lose the protective effects estrogen,
,estrogen There is a hormone we produce before menopause that protects our bones, and when we lose that protection our bone loss accelerates, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
4. Medicines
Some medicines like steroids can have negative effects on our bones.
Thomson explains, “Some steroids play a really important role in the management of many conditions like arthritis and some inflammatory bowel conditions but unfortunately they are not good for bones. This is because steroids can affect those bone-forming cells and slow down their functions.”
“So, it’s important that when these medications are prescribed that whoever is prescribing them is also thinking about that person’s bone health at the same time.”
5. Lifestyle factors
“Drinking too much alcohol and smoking is harmful for many health reasons, including the effect it has on our bones,” says Thomson.
“It is also very important to keep your body weight within a healthy range for your age and your height.
For example, restricting dietary intake to the point that your body weight is dangerously low can have a huge impact on bone health because you will not get the nutrition your bones need and will often stop menstruating, which is a sign that you are not producing. estrogenWhich is not good for your bones.
“So, staying active, eating a balanced, calcium-rich diet, not smoking and limiting alcohol consumption within government guidance are all going to help your bones.”
How is osteoporosis officially diagnosed?
“This will start with a conversation with your GP about risk factors and then they may suggest a bone density scan which will show how your bone strength compares to average,” explains Thomson.
“Then if your bone density is within the range that is classified as osteoporosis, your doctor may consider prescribing drug treatment to help reduce the risk of fracture.”