PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS
Osteoporosis is a major and growing public-health challenge across the UK. According to Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), an estimated 3.5 million people in the UK live with the condition1
.
I
n Scotland alone, approximately 300,000 people are affected, with one in two women over 50 and one in five men facing the risk of a fracture because of bone-weakening disease.1
As community pharmacy evolves, pharmacists are well-placed to drive the prevention agenda and support optimisation of bone-health care. The following article explores current evidence, prevention strategies and the expanding role of pharmacy teams in addressing osteoporosis across Scotland.
Understanding the Scale and Risk Osteoporosis is characterised by reduced bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, which means bones become more fragile and prone to fractures2
. It is often dubbed the ‘silent
disease’ because it typically goes undetected until a fracture occurs3
. Fragility fractures – those
occurring from minimal trauma – rank as the fourth leading cause of disability and premature death in the UK. Hip fractures, which affect 6,000 Scots every year, are one of the biggest causes, with a quarter of patients sadly dying within 12 months of suffering the injury1
. Risk factors are
both non-modifiable (such as advancing age, female sex, family history, early menopause) and modifiable (smoking, excessive alcohol intake, inactivity, low dietary calcium or vitamin D, long- term corticosteroid use). When a person has already sustained one osteoporotic fracture, their risk of a second fracture doubles or triples1
. The
challenge is significant: the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) reports that 61% of individuals who have one of the three major risk factors for osteoporosis have not had a bone-health assessment1
Prevention: Building Stronger Bones Early Prevention is the keystone of osteoporosis management - and community pharmacy has a key role to play. Three core areas for action are:
Weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise: Engaging in regular weight-bearing activity (e.g. brisk walking, dancing, jogging) and resistance training helps stimulate bone formation, enhance muscle strength and improve balance, thereby reducing fracture risk2
.
Nutrition and vitamin D: Ensuring adequate calcium intake (around 1,000 mg per day for many adults) and sufficient vitamin D (generally 800–1,000 IU daily in older adults) is important
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