Tuesday 29 November 2022 12:30 AM GPs fail to identify osteoporosis sparking fears of a hidden epidemic of ... trends now
View
comments
Tens of thousands of elderly patients suffer life-changing fractures every year because GPs are failing to identify those with weak bones, a parliamentary inquiry has found.
Family doctors are well placed to diagnose and treat osteoporosis – which causes brittle bones – but too many people learn they have it only after suffering a fall, the cross-party group of MPs and peers said.
The inquiry, led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Osteoporosis and Bone Health, recommends a national screening programme for the condition, which affects 3.5million people in the UK, including half of women and a fifth of men over 50. But only 39 per cent of people with one of three major risk factors have received a bone health assessment.
Risk factors include early menopause, long-term use of certain drugs, low body mass index and heavy drinking.
Osteoporosis affects 3.5million people in the UK, including half of women and a fifth of men over 50. Broken hips,
