Description
Osteoporosis is often a “silent” disease, remaining undiagnosed until a fracture occurs. Timely diagnosis by GPs and optimal treatment reduces the risk of further fractures by up to 30%, 50% and 70% in patients with non-vertebral, hip and vertebral fractures, respectively. A burden of disease analysis commissioned by Osteoporosis Australia and based on data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study estimated that in 2012, 4.74 million (66%) of people over the age of 50 in Australia had osteoporosis or osteopenia – low bone density that is often the precursor to osteoporosis. The prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia is estimated to rise by 31% (6.2 million) by 2022. This will result in a 30% increase in the annual fracture incidence, from approximately 141,000 fractures in 2012 to approximately 183,000 in 2022. Approximately 70% of minimal trauma fractures occur in women, with incidence increasing with age in both sexes.