Women warned of osteoporosis danger
One in three women over the age of 50 will be affected by the devastating bone disease osteoporosis, it was claimed tonight.
The Irish Osteoporosis Society (IOS) has called upon women at risk to take urgent action to prevent the onset of the disease.
Professor Moira O’Brien, president of the society, said a DEXA scan was the best method to identify if a person is at risk of bone fractures.
She said: “It can help to identify patients who would benefit from taking preventative measures or treatment.
“A family history of osteoporosis is one key risk factor of the condition, and particularly if your mother has suffered a hip fracture, then you may also be at risk.”
Osteoporosis is a disease which reduces the density and quality of bone leading to a weakness of the frame, and an increased risk of fracture, particularly in the spine, wrist, hip, pelvis and upper arm.
The society has launched a new booklet, What is a DEXA Scan?, with support from the health company Merck Sharp & Dohme Ireland, to highlight the importance of scans and preventative measures to halt the disease.
Mary Kennedy, a medical social worker who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, said an early diagnosis can save a lot of pain.
Ms Kennedy said: “In my case, because my mother’s fractures resulted in diagnosis and treatment, I was able to be checked and put on treatment early enough to prevent the same thing happening to me. Many people get no warning of the condition until it is too late.”
She called upon people to encourage all of their female friends and relatives to look out for risk factors of osteoporosis.
The disease tends to affect women over the age of 50, but it can also hit younger people with anorexia due to their low calorie intake. Athletes can also be affected by stress fractures if they have over-trained with an insufficient nutrition level.
A survey carried out among Irish women showed that 82% over the age of 50 realise that the disease could leave them crippled. Around 39% said they knew it could possibly lead to death.
But while 68% considered themselves at risk, only a quarter have had scans to measure their bone density.
Around 10% of women surveyed, whose mothers had osteoporosis, did not believe they were at risk.
Dr Darragh Foley-Nolan, a consultant in Rheumatology at Waterford Regional Hospital, said that unlike previous generations most women can now take positive action to prevent the onset of osteoporosis or future bone fracture, and can benefit from early diagnosis and treatment.
He said: “Today’s efficacious treatments can help to prevent bone fracture by increasing bone density, or slowing down and stopping bone loss.”
