Osteoporosis – an update
This update will cover the importance of osteoporosis, which of your patients may have osteoporosis, an update on physical activity for people with osteoporosis, and suggestions on how to provide simple education and advice for these patients.
Osteoporosis is one of the most common diseases of older people with one in three women and one in five men experiencing an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. Fracture rates vary across Europe, with older people living in Denmark having the highest fracture risk of all.
It is important to understand which of your patients may have osteoporosis and/or vertebral fractures. Risk factors for osteoporosis include advancing age, family history, low body weight, smoking, excess alcohol intake, systemic inflammatory diseases and some medications. In addition, risk factors for fracture such as falls are important contributory factors to the impact of osteoporosis.
There is often concern among patients and healthcare professionals about physical activity in the setting of osteoporosis and/or vertebral fractures. Emma Clark will focus on the potential benefits and possible adverse effects of everyday activity and/or specific movements and exercises for people with osteoporosis. The final section will cover some suggestions for providing ‘best practice’ recommendations on physical activity for people with this diagnosis.
Dr. Emma Clark
Clinically Dr. Emma Clark specialises in general rheumatology and osteoporosis.
She trained in medicine at St. Georges Hospital Medical School London, epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and studied for her PhD in Bristol.
She is a Consultant Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology at the University of Bristol, and her main research area is musculoskeletal epidemiology, with a particular interest in identification of older people with vertebral fractures.
Emma Clark is the Associate Editor of Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Diseases – Musculoskeletal Diseases. And she is a member of the BSR Heberden Committee and the National Osteoporosis Society Clinical & Scientific Committee.
Dr. Clark is also speaking at the symposium 'Osteoporosis - the overlooked people's disease'.