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'Public health crisis' gets spotlight during National Osteoporosis Month
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Every 2 minutes, someone in the United States breaks their hip, and if that fracture is related to osteoporosis, the likelihood that person will experience another fracture jumps three to five times, according to the National Bone Health Alliance.
Despite this, only about a quarter of patients are evaluated and treated for osteoporosis following their first osteoporotic fracture, the group added. For National Osteoporosis Month this May, the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA) is aiming to correct these figures by urging members and other providers to address this care gap that leaves millions of patients at risk for repeat fractures.
“Untreated osteoporosis is a public health crisis and it is critical that physicians and other health care providers take action now to start evaluating and treating patients who have sustained an osteoporotic fracture,” NBHA Co-Chair Robert Adler, MD, of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, and McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said in a press release. "With our commitment to secondary fracture prevention, we can close the current 70% to 80% care gap for testing and treating patients over age 50 who experience a fracture.”
Throughout May, the NBHA will offer a variety of tools and resources members and health care providers that can help close that care gap, including patient videos that raise awareness of Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) programs. In addition, members and providers can request an NBHA one-on-one consultation or sign up for the NBHA Bone Health FLS Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes Series to get the support needed to start a new FLS program.
More information on the FLS model of care is available at www.NBHA.org.
“It is no longer acceptable for patients to be treated for fractures and released from medical care without assessment and interventions to reduce their risk of a repeat fracture,” Kenneth Saag, MD, MSc, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and NBHA co-chair, said in a press release. “FLS programs identify and appropriately treat postfracture patients to reduce their risk of suffering future fractures, making it a great approach to reducing the number of expensive and serious recurrent fractures currently prevalent in the United States.”
Saag is president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), which is also marking the month with an awareness and education initiative to help patients build bone strength and prevent fractures.
The group’s efforts include the “Break Free from Osteoporosis” call to action campaign, and its ongoing Jumping Jack Challenge, which encourages people to film themselves, their friends or their family completing 10 jumping jacks in less than 10 seconds, and posting it to social media. They then challenge their friends to do the same. Those that choose not to accept the challenge as asked to instead donate to the NOF to support bone health research.
In addition, the NOF will host a webinar at noon EST on May 30 to answer frequently asked questions regarding healthy diets that promote bone health.
“Osteoporosis is responsible for 2 million broken bones every year in the United States and causes 75,000 deaths, yet too many people neglect their bone health until after they suffer a debilitating fracture,” Elizabeth Thompson, CEO of the NOF, said in a press release. “We’re encouraging everyone to get active, follow a bone healthy diet and learn the facts about osteoporosis treatment to prevent fractures and the pain and suffering that results.”
To help raise awareness of bone health and the risk of repeat fractures during National Osteoporosis Month, Healio Rheumatology presents the latest news coverage regarding osteoporosis.
Fracture liaison service increases BMD testing, osteoporosis treatment
Adults with osteoporosis who received care from a fracture liaison service program were more likely to undergo bone mineral density testing and initiate and adhere to osteoporosis treatment vs. adults receiving usual care. Read More.
Osteoporosis as serious, but less understood in men than women
Despite hundreds of studies based on data and insights from that original study published during the last 20 years, much less is known about fractures and osteoporosis in men than in women. Read More.
Arthroscopy for knee OA did not reduce or delay the need for TKA
Arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis offered no benefit in reducing or delaying the need for total knee arthroplasty compared with conservative treatment. Read More.
Intra-articular Wnt pathway inhibitor yielded significant improvements in knee OA
Patients with knee osteoarthritis treated with a novel, intra-articular Wnt pathway inhibitor had significant improvements in symptomatic and medial joint space width compared to patients treated with placebo. Read More.
Teriparatide therapy beneficial in pregnancy- and lactation-induced osteoporosis
Women with pregnancy- and lactation-induced osteoporosis who experienced multiple vertebral fractures saw a 15% improvement in bone mineral density at the lumbar spine after 1 year of daily teriparatide therapy, as well as improvements in bone turnover markers vs. similar women who declined the drug. Read More.
Denosumab more effective than risedronate in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
Adults with a history of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis assigned to therapy with the monoclonal antibody denosumab experienced a greater increase in bone mineral density at the lumber spine and total hip at 12 months vs. similar patients assigned the bisphosphonate risedronate. Read More.
Sprifermin shows dose, treatment effects in knee OA at 3 years
Novel recombinant human fibroblast growth factor-18 sprifermin was associated with ongoing treatment effect at 3 years in individuals with knee OA. Read More.