Osteoporosis is a condition which affects the bones.  If you have osteoporosis it means that you have lost some bone material, which makes them more prone to breaking (fracture). Osteoporosis mainly affects older people, but can affect anyone. Some people have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

All men and women have some risk of developing osteoporosis as they become older, particularly over the age of 60. Women are more at risk than men. Women lose bone material more rapidly than men, especially after the menopause when the level of oestrogen falls. Oestrogen is a female hormone and helps to protect against bone loss. By the age of 70 some women have lost 30% of their bone material. Some diseases or conditions, certain medicines or having a family history of the osteoporosis also puts some people at a higher risk. In the UK, about half of women and about 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will fracture a bone, many as a result of osteoporosis.

You can take measures to prevent or slow down bone loss.

If you have osteoporosis, drugs can help to restore bone.

Screening Questionnaire
At Marple Cottage Surgery we have developed a questionnaire which helps us decide if you are at risk of developing osteoporosis. We would like you to fill in our questionnaire and return it to us. One of our clinicians will look at your answers. If we decide you fall into the group of people who may be at risk, we will send you an invitation to come into the surgery for a review. We may need to send you for a Dexa scan, a test which looks at your bone density.

Please complete our questionnaire as best as you can and let us have it back.