Osteoporosis Day – October 20th
Posted Le 21 octobre 2016
World Osteoporosis Day (WOD), organized by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), is recognized globally on October 20th each year. Its purpose it to highlight the burden that is created by osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal diseases and the actions that can be taken to prevent and treat the diseases.
There is an immense care gap in the assessment and treatment of osteoporosis among both women and men. WOD provides an opportunity to create worldwide awareness to help close this gap and make osteoporosis a global health priority issue.
The overarching theme of “Love your bones: Protect your future” encourages individuals to self-advocate for assessment and treatment (if necessary) in order to prevent a decrease in quality of life related to chronic pain, immobility and long term disability, or even premature death, as a result of an osteoporotic fracture.
The campaign toolkit is available at http://www.worldosteoporosisday.org/resources. The toolkit provides educational material, resources, facts, statistics and promotional ideas that can be used globally to provide a united front in the fight against osteoporosis. WOD is an opportunity for stakeholders to raise awareness through global and local efforts to help make bone, muscle and joint diseases a worldwide health priority issue. Many multi-language resources available on the #WorldOsteoporosisDay website.
Osteoporosis Canada is presenting a webinar on October 20th to coordinate with WOD. It is a special presentation on Osteoporosis Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention presented by Suzanne Morin, MD, MSc, FRCP, FACP, Clinician Scientist- McGill University. The archieved link to this event will be available November 3rd at : http://webcast.otn.ca/mywebcast?id=59955006.
Osteoporosis and other muscle and bone diseases, are a worldwide problem. Fractures caused by these diseases can lead to pronounced pain, weakness and disability. To complicate the matter more, a “fear of falling” in seniors can be attributed to a diagnosis of Osteoporosis. Seniors may limit their exercise or activities, for fear of breaking a bone, when really they should be doing just the opposite!
From the Loop Library Service:
World Osteoporosis Day gives us an opportunity to become more educated and informed about this dilemma and what we can do to help ourselves and others. Below is a short list of articles that can help in the education process. You may request the full text of any article for free through the Loop Library Service.
- Bessette L, Jean S, Davison KS, Roy S, Ste-Marie LG, Brown JP. Factors influencing the treatment of osteoporosis following fragility fracture. Osteoporosis Int. 2009 Nov;20(11):1911-9. Abstract
“Physicians largely based their decision to treat on BMD results and not on the clinical event-fragility fracture.”
- Ettinger MP. Aging bone and osteoporosis: strategies for preventing fractures in the elderly. Arch Intern Med. 2003 Oct 13;163(18):2237-46. Abstract
“Older patients are much more susceptible to fracture at any given bone mineral density (BMD) than are younger patients because of various factors, including the quality of aging bone, which involves more than BMD.”
- Gass M, Dawson-Hughes B. Preventing osteoporosis-related fractures: an overview. Am J Med. 2006 Apr;119(4 Suppl 1):S3-S11. Abstract
“In recognition of the importance of bone health, the US Surgeon General has, for the first time, issued a comprehensive report on bone health and treatment. The report recommends a pyramidal approach to osteoporosis treatment that includes calcium and vitamin D supplementation, physical activity, and fall prevention as the first line in fracture prevention.”
Zarowitz BJ. Management of osteoporosis in older persons. Geriatr Nurs. 2006 Jan-Feb;27(1):16-8. No Abstract available.