Better bone health

As discussed before, osteoporosis is a silent condition, characterised by loss of bone mass, the first sign often being a fracture. The results of osteoporosis can be devastating, so it is better to gain an early diagnosis and start treatment before the fractures occur.

My other reason for wishing to cover this topic again is to try and avoid the potential overreaction to recent publicity that raised a question mark over ‘bisphosphonates’ treatment for osteoporosis. This preliminary study suggested that there may be a population of patients who do not benefit from the bisphosphonates protective effects in resisting fractures. However, this was too small a study to be conclusive in terms of changing the current protocol. See this link for the full detail of the study

Recommendations from the National Osteoporosis Society

As a result, there are concerns that some patients may stop taking the medication and this could result in many avoidable fractures. The National Osteoporosis Society recommends that bisphosphonates are the best osteoporosis treatment at present and therefore, patients should continue treatment unless advised otherwise by their doctor.

Avoiding Osteoporosis

Of course, the best advice is to avoid osteoporosis in the first place and that means starting early. Bone loss starts after the age of 40. There are many factors to consider and making the correct lifestyle choices will reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. In brief, plenty of weight bearing exercise, not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol intake, keeping your weight within normal limits, and getting enough vitamin D and calcium are the best course of action. See our Osteoporosis article for more information.

Osteoporosis Screening

The Odiham Clinic offers osteoporosis screening to anyone aged between 40 and 90. The questionnaire, developed by the World Health Organisation, will indicate your level of risk and what actions should be taken.

So call us today to book your Osteoporosis screening.