Osteoporosis - Hurting more than we realise?

31 May 2007

Osteoporosis - Hurting more than we realise?

Osteoporosis is one of most widely felt and debilitating diseases in New Zealand. It is also one of the most preventable.

It is thought that over one half of New Zealand women and one third of New Zealand men over the age of 60 are affected by osteoporosis. Approximately 4,000 hip fractures are recorded every year, with the majority resulting from an underlying osteoporotic condition.

To gain a greater understanding of the impact of the disease in this country Osteoporosis New Zealand (Osteo NZ) has commissioned the Centre for Health Services Research and Policy (CHSRP) - a research group from the School of Population Health, Auckland University to undertake the study.

The final report will document real statistics about the disease which is thought to have reached alarming proportions in New Zealand.

A similar Australian study - The Burden of Brittle Bones - in 2001, found that nearly two million Australians suffered from osteoporotic conditions, over three quarters of whom were women. It also found that the costs incurred by the disease represented 1.2% of Australian GDP in 2000 and 2001 alone.

Executive director of Osteo NZ, Julia Gallagher, believes it's important to get all the osteoporosis facts right in order to implement programmes and measures to lessen the impact of the condition.

"The government needs to be presented with categorical facts in order to make allowances for hospital bed allocations, medication and rehabilitation costs. But most importantly, the resulting paper will highlight the need for government-led education programmes about nutrition and exercise. After all prevention is better the cure," Ms Gallagher said.

"Our ultimate goal is to get musculo-skeletal disease recognised by the Ministry of Health as one of its top public health priorities. It's internationally accepted that osteoporosis is a huge issue, but until now no New Zealand-based supporting evidence has been available."

Experts have already determined that a person's peak bone mass, or "bone bank" is established before the age of 25. By maintaining a calcium-rich diet and living a healthy and active lifestyle, young people can significantly reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

Similarly a nutritious diet and regular exercise can help ensure bones stay healthier, longer, later in life.

An unrestricted educational grant from Anlene - Fonterra's bone health related milk and yoghurt product - to Osteo NZ has made the study possible.

General Manager of Fonterra Brands NZ, Andrew Smith, says Anlene is committed to supporting the health and well-being of New Zealanders.

"We hope the work produced by CHSRP will highlight the widespread impact of poor bone health and encourage people to take nutrition and exercise more seriously."

Julia Gallagher is pleased the research has finally been made possible. She says Osteo NZ has been pushing for this to happen since the Australian Burden of Brittle Bones Report was published nearly six years ago.

"New Zealanders are living longer lives and we want to help minimise the effect osteoporosis can have on quality of life," she says.

ENDS

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