Sunday Express launches marketing campaign to wipe out ‘hidden killer’ osteoporosis

Giving wider entry to specialist fracture clinics would save 8,000 lives over 5 years and slash an unimaginable £665million off the NHS outlay for remedy.

Osteoporosis, the fourth largest reason for untimely demise and incapacity, weakens bones to the purpose they’ll break simply.

It has been dubbed the “silent disease” as a result of victims usually don’t discover it till a bone breaks.

Yet all too usually these early warning indicators – a damaged wrist or ankle – are ignored, with the affected person “fixed up and forgotten about”.

Today the Sunday Express launches a marketing campaign for the NHS to supply everybody over 50 who suffers a fracture to be mechanically screened for the situation.

We have teamed up with the Royal Osteoporosis Society to name for an additional £30million a 12 months to be ringfenced so sufferers are checked, suggested and placed on acceptable and well timed remedy.

In addition, we imagine a fracture tsar is required in every nation with a selected transient to take care of preventable fractures.

About 3.5 million individuals within the UK undergo with the situation, however most are undiagnosed. And whereas osteoporosis is definitely handled, it’s given far much less emphasis than hypertension and ldl cholesterol.

The ROS estimates two thirds of sufferers needing remedy are lacking out – round 90,000 individuals yearly.

Left undiagnosed or untreated, the situation has a huge effect on high quality of life
and makes it way more probably the affected person will undergo additional breaks, requiring expensive and ongoing care. Osteoporosis-related fractures at present value the NHS £4.5billion every year throughout the UK.

While youthful sufferers normally make full recoveries from damaged bones, for over-50s the outcomes are way more unsure.

Half of girls and a fifth of males on this age bracket will undergo a fracture due to the situation. One in 4 that suffer a hip fracture dies inside a 12 months, and eight in ten might want to use a stick for strolling.

Those with spinal fractures may be left in persistent ache and so hunched they’re left completely disabled. But regardless of these stark figures, the probably causes of osteoporosis are well-known. Genetics play a component, as does a sufferer’s way of life.

The specialist models, referred to as Fracture Liaison Services, are devoted to evaluate and plan remedy for these vulnerable to a second fracture. They work with specialist clinicians skilled to evaluate whether or not a damaged bone is brought on by osteoporosis.

This may contain a Dexa scan, questions on household historical past and using sure medicines that may weaken bones.

Interventions are efficient, decreasing the chance of a repeat fracture by 40 per cent.

But specialists say that with out the evaluation of those specialist models, sufferers are sometimes “fixed up and forgotten about”. And their underlying osteoporosis may be undiagnosed or handled, leaving them at excessive threat of one other critical fracture in two years.

The ROS says tens of hundreds are lacking out as there aren’t sufficient specialist models to cowl those that may gain advantage. In England solely 57 per cent of sufferers have entry to 1, and plenty of of these are poorly resourced.

The affect can be felt demographically, with these on lower-income households struggling a 25 per cent increased threat of fractures on account of way of life elements like weight loss program.

The ROS desires to see an finish to this postcode lottery, with at the least 80 per cent of osteoporosis circumstances recognized.

Its analysis reveals a £30million a 12 months dedication to enhance high quality and protection of the important models would save the well being service greater than £3 for each £1 invested.

The ROS additionally estimates that nationwide entry to correctly resourced companies would stop 74,000 fractures over 5 years, saving the NHS £665million.

This equates to eight,000 lives saved from prevented hip fractures alone.

Craig Jones, ROS chief government, stated: “Fracture Liaison Services are a game changer for our growing older population.

“Tens of thousands of people with osteoporosis suffer avoidable fractures, taking up hospital beds that could be used for other patients. Most people with osteoporosis are undiagnosed, often leading to further fractures, pain, immobility, and preventable loss of life. The NHS spends huge sums managing the consequences of failure, rather than preventing harm in the first place.”

1,000,000 acute hospital mattress days per 12 months are occupied by hip fracture sufferers alone. Mr Jones continued: “Today the condition should not be the problem it is, as it can be controlled by highly affordable and effective therapies.

“Yet two thirds of people who need drugs to prevent fractures are missing out.

“Today, there are newer drugs which rebuild bones as well as slowing progression of the condition. Treating more people could make a game-changing difference for older generations, but the health system is overlooking people who need these drugs.

“These fractures are no minor inconvenience. They spoil people’s lives. Hip fractures are ‘heart attack level’ events – 25 per cent of those who have one die in a year.

“The Government is missing an obvious way to protect the lives of older people, particularly women.” He stated half of those that have hip fractures may have been flagged as a threat from an earlier occasion, comparable to a damaged wrist. And different bone accidents, like these to the backbone, can usually be written off as a foul again, resulting in extra extreme issues down the road.

Mr Jones stated: “We think about cholesterol and blood pressure but very few of us think about bone health.

“No one is incentivising NHS trusts to prevent fractures. There are mandates from government and NHS leaders for heart disease prevention, strokes, diabetes and cancer. These are all very worthy causes, but there is nothing on fracture prevention.

“The Government is falling short.”

He continued: “There does not need to be high trauma for a spinal or hip fracture in someone with osteoporosis – coughing or sneezing too hard, or even a hug from grandchildren could be enough.

“Osteoporosis is the fourth highest cause of premature death and disability, yet little has been done about it.

“The scale of the missed opportunity is huge, and we are demanding action.”

Without funding, in addition to a top-down mandate and a “Fracture Tsar” to co-ordinate it, the established order will stay, he stated.

The ROS has gained the help of cross-party MPs and friends and is at present making its case to Parliament.

Judith Cummins, chairwoman of the all-party parliamentary group on Osteoporosis and Bone Health, is rallying help within the Commons.

The Labour MP for Bradford South stated she hoped the decision to motion would “break down barriers”, including: “The scale of the problem and the injustice of this is appalling.” She additionally prompt the situation had slipped “under the radar” because it was seen as “not sexy” and largely a girls’s drawback.

• Call the ROS helpline: 0808 800 0035

Warning indicators for a mum and her daughter

Gwyneth Paltrow and her mom Blythe have been recognized with bone points.

Gwyneth, 50, came upon she had osteopenia – early levels of osteoporosis – after fracturing her tibia, prompting her surgeon to present her a bone scan.

She stated: “This led doctors in New York to test my Vitamin D levels, which were the lowest they’d ever seen.

“I went on a prescription strength level of Vitamin D and was told to spend a bit of time in the sun!”

Blythe, 80, first spoke of getting osteoporosis again in 2011, which was linked to being post-menopausal.