Aggressive osteoporosis prevention may slash fracture rates by 25%
Scientists have calculated that aggressive management of patients at risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis could significantly reduce the number of fractures.
A team at Kaiser Permanente in southern California looked at the effect of an osteoporosis management programme which had been introduced in the area.
Researchers examined the effect of the Healthy Bones Programme on 650,000 men and women over the age of 50 between 2002 and 2007.
During that time, bone density screening rates increased by 263 per cent and the number of people taking anti-osteoporosis medications rose by 153 per cent.
The researchers found that hip fractures dropped by 38 per cent during the study period, meaning that an estimated 970 fractures were prevented in 2007 alone as a result of the programme.
Lead study author Dr Richard Dell, an orthopaedic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Downey, California, said that healthcare could be "drastically improved" if the model of osteoporosis care was made standard, with overall fracture rates potentially reduced by 25 per cent.
"The most important thing an orthopaedic surgeon should know about osteoporosis/fracture prevention is that we can take action that helps to prevent hip and other fragility fractures," he pointed out.
"Simple steps like suggesting calcium and vitamin D for all your patients and bone mineral density testing in patients at higher risk for osteoporosis should be considered part of your daily practice."
The findings, which are published in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, highlight the importance of identifying people who are at risk of osteoporosis and offering them bone-protective therapy.
However, a recent study in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine revealed that fewer than one in three women attending a hospital in England who had broken a bone since menopause were receiving bone-protective drugs.
A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign concurred that more needed to be done to raise the standards of osteoporosis care.
"Awareness of the disease, including risk factors and preventative treatments, is currently low among both clinicians and patients, and excessively complex treatment guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have not helped the situation," she added.
© Adfero Ltd
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