Southampton professor shines light on ‘urgent global health issue’

Professor Nicholas Harvey is leading calls for urgent change to improve the treatment of osteoporosis around the world.

He has led a landmark Position Paper by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). The new paper, published in Osteoporosis International, identifies barriers and solutions to global care.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes bones to become weak and fragile. This increases the risk of fractures from impacts and falls. It affects around 500 million men and women worldwide.

The IOF Position Paper is endorsed by more than 85 national and global organisations in the field.

Professor Harvey is the IOF President. He is Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre and part of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre.

What’s the problem?

Around one in three women and one in five men aged over 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their remaining lifetimes.

The new paper identifies a number of key obstacles to effective care. These include limited availability of bone density (DXA) scanning and outdated treatment criteria that rely solely on bone mineral density (BMD).

Prof Harvey said: “This is an urgent global health issue. To make real progress, we need global advocacy, updated reimbursement policies, and national commitment to implementing fracture prevention strategies based on modern risk assessment methods.”

Professor Eugene McCloskey, Chair of the IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors, added:

“Osteoporosis is now a manageable condition, yet advances in prevention and treatment have not translated into equitable care, particularly in under-resourced regions.”

What needs to change?

The IOF is calling on the World Health Organization and national health authorities to support a reframing of osteoporosis care.

Specifically, the IOF is advocating for a greater focus on overall fracture risk, rather than just bone density. This would mean looking at things like age, previous fractures and other health factors - even if a scan isn’t available.

Consistent use of this approach would help ensure that patients who are most vulnerable can access life-saving therapies.

The paper also offers further solutions to help improve the treatment of osteoporosis around the world.

Read the full Position Paper in Osteoporosis International