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On World Osteoporosis Day, associations warn of ‘fracture tsunami’
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The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists joined the International Osteoporosis Foundation in support of World Osteoporosis Day on Sunday, calling on health care providers to make osteoporosis and fracture prevention a priority in daily clinical practice, according to a press release.
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by weakened bones and often leads to fractures, causing pain, disability and a decrease in independence and quality of life. Worldwide, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men aged at least 50 years will sustain an osteoporotic fracture, according to the IOF.
“Osteoporosis is vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated, and this care gap is leaving millions of older adults unprotected against potentially life-threatening fractures,” Cyrus Cooper, OBE, MA, DM, FRCP, FFPH, FMedSci, director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton and president of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), said in the release. “Endocrinologists are uniquely placed to identify and treat high-risk patients, which often include long-term users of glucocorticoids or patients affected by diabetes, hyperthyroidism and a host of other endocrine disorders. We urge the health care community to make osteoporosis and fracture prevention a top priority in their daily practice.”
World Osteoporosis Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.
“Prevention is possible,” Sandra L. Weber, MD, FACE, FACP, associate director of internal medicine and chief in the section of endocrinology at Greenville Hospital System University Medical Group and president of AACE, said in the release. “Activities such as eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly and minimizing smoking and alcohol can promote healthy bones and can be done throughout your life. It’s never too early or too late to adopt healthy habits for osteoporosis prevention.”
The organizations stated that men and women aged at least 50 years should consider the IOF Risk Check and consult an endocrinologist if they experience any of the warning signs of osteoporosis: Loss of height, sudden severe back pain and increased stoop.
“With the aging of populations worldwide, a ‘fracture tsunami’ is approaching that will have enormous human and socioeconomic impact,” Philippe Halbout, CEO of the IOF, said in the release. “Fragility fractures can be profoundly debilitating with chronic pain that can lead to reduced mobility and poor quality of life. Fewer than half of seniors who survive a hip fracture will walk unaided again, and as many as 33% are totally dependent or in a nursing home within a year following a hip fracture.”
For more information, visit www.worldosteoporosisday.org.
To mark World Osteoporosis Day, Endocrine Today compiled a list of the latest coverage of bone and mineral metabolism health news.
New VITAL analyses shed light on vitamin D for bone health, fall prevention
Debate continues among endocrinologists regarding what constitutes the “optimal” level of vitamin D, and dozens of studies have assessed the benefits of vitamin D supplementation on everything from fracture risk to diabetes and autoimmune disease. Most recently, the large-scale VITAL trial, presented in November 2018 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, suggested the supplement failed to prevent major cardiovascular events and the development of invasive cancers over 5 years, although a deeper dive into the findings reveals a signal for benefits with vitamin D for certain subsets of patients.
Midlife musculoskeletal symptoms increase, become more severe with type 2 diabetes
Middle-aged women with type 2 diabetes reported more severe musculoskeletal symptoms than women who did not have the condition, according to findings published in The Diabetes Educator.
Inadequate osteoporosis treatment persists after major fractures
Only 1 in 10 men and fewer than 2 in 10 women who did not receive osteoporosis therapy at the time of a fracture were prescribed adequate treatment during follow-up, increasing secondary fracture risks for those left untreated, according to an analysis of data from Austria published in Bone.
FDA approves osteoporosis follow-on biologic
The FDA recently approved an osteoporosis medication — PF708 — developed by Pfenex under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway as a follow-on biologic to teriparatide injection, according to a press release from the company.
PF708 is indicated for treatment of osteoporosis among patients with high risk for fracture. When compared with its reference medication, teriparatide injection (Forteo, Eli Lilly), PF708 has the same amino-acid sequence.
Consensus statement stresses pharmacotherapy after first hip, vertebral fractures
Older adults who sustain a hip or vertebral fracture should be appropriately evaluated and treated for osteoporosis to reduce the risk for secondary fracture, with clinicians utilizing fracture liaison services and offering pharmacotherapy, according to a consensus statement published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
READ – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: Cooper is president of the IOF. Weber is president of AACE.