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Report for doctors, health professionals and
policy makers.

Brochure for patients and consumers.

• Each year millions of mostly older adults will suffer a devastating hip fracture caused by a simple fall. Millions more will suffer fractures of the wrist, shoulder, pelvis or spine. These fractures are no accident! It is likely that the underlying cause is osteoporosis.

• An individual who has suffered an osteoporotic fracture is twice as likely to suffer a fracture in the future if no diagnosis of osteoporosis has been made and appropriate treatment provided.

• Approximately half of all people who have had one osteoporotic fracture will have another, with the risk of additional fractures increasing with each new broken bone.

• One in four women who have a new spine fracture will fracture again within one year.

• Almost half of the patients who are treated in hospital for a hip fracture have had a previous fracture of some kind.

• That first fracture was a warning sign! It should have resulted in immediate screening and, if indicated, management and treatment for osteoporosis.

• Sadly, the reality is that most hospitals and clinics fail to ‘capture’ that first fracture – leaving patients open to a future of suffering and debility. Over 80% of fracture patients are never offered screening and/or treatment for osteoporosis, despite the fact that there are effective medications that can reduce fracture risk by as much as 30–70 %.

If you are 50 years or older and have had a fracture you should ask your doctor for a clinical assessment that will include a bone mineral density test and, if available for your country, a fracture risk assessment with the online FRAX calculator (WHO Fracture Risk Assessment Tool).

Even if you haven’t had a fracture, you should be aware of any other factors that place you at higher risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. Find out what they are, or take the IOF One-Minute Risk Test.

Download the full patient brochure here, and make your first break your last.