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Osteoperosis study moves to next stage |
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Written by News Desk
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Thursday, 15 November 2007 |
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The second phase of work has
begun on a major clinical trial
involving more than 11,000
women over the age of 70 to
find out if screening older
woman for osteoporosis can
help to reduce the numbers
who suffer bone fractures.
The seven-year trial, one of
the largest studies of osteoporosis in the UK, is led by researchers from the University of
East Anglia and has received
funding of £4.13 million from the
Medical Research Council and
the Arthritis Research Campaign.
Osteoporosis leads to
200,000 fractures a year, 86,000
of which are debilitating hip fractures which in some cases are
life-threatening - around 20 per
cent of those who suffer a hip
fracture die within the year - so
early diagnosis and prevention
could have huge benefits. It also
costs health and social services
about £1.7 billion a year.
A pilot study recently completed by the University of East
Anglia and the University of
Sheffield indicated that a systematic approach to screening
older women for the disease
could hold the key to early identification and treatment of those
at high risk of a fracture.
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