About 1 million people in the Netherlands suffer from accelerated bone loss, or osteoporosis. A large proportion of them are not treated adequately. “I had no idea of the risks. Until I broke three vertebrae through an innocent movement.”
Not only frail old ladies suffer from osteoporosis, as is often thought. It also affects younger women and men. The risk increases from the age of about 50. People who use asthma medications or prednisone, or who have or have had an eating disorder, are also at greater risk of developing the condition. In total, approximately 1 million people in the Netherlands suffer from osteoporosis.
60 percent rate care as moderate to very poor
Everyone has to deal with osteoporosis over the years, but with osteoporosis this happens more quickly. This means that this group has an increased risk of bone fractures, for example in the hip or vertebrae. Additional problem: the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis is inadequate.
As many as 60 percent of patients rate the care they receive as moderate to very poor. This is evident from a survey by the Osteoporosis Association: “People are often not referred in time. As a result, the diagnosis is made late or – despite the diagnosis – no treatment is given,” says director Hendrien Witte.
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‘Not taken seriously’
“Many respondents indicate that they do not feel heard by practitioners and that their complaints are not taken seriously enough. As many as half feel that they receive too little information about the condition,” says the director. Many respondents had to insist on a referral to the right practitioner or further investigation, according to the survey.
‘Personal suffering and pressure on healthcare costs’
“That not only causes a lot of personal suffering, but also puts unnecessary pressure on healthcare costs further down the road,” says Witte. “Because a timely diagnosis ensures that lifestyle adjustments and any medication can be started as quickly as possible to limit the impact of osteoporosis.”
‘No new scan’
72-year-old Letty Loerts-Bakkes is one such patient where care was inadequate despite the diagnosis of osteoporosis. “About 16 years ago I broke my wrist and it was then discovered that I had accelerated osteoporosis. But I received little information and the medication was very messy. A scan was never made again to see how the osteoporosis was progressing. is developing.”
72-year-old Letty Loerts-Bakkes is one such patient where care was inadequate despite the diagnosis of osteoporosis.
Three vertebrae broken
Last year things went terribly wrong. Letty was working out at home, doing some floor exercises. “I was lying on my back and could not get my head to rest on the ground very well. When I wanted to help with my hands, I suddenly heard ‘cracking’. That cracking sound came from three vertebrae. Due to the osteoporosis, they were weakened to such an extent that they were an innocent movement vomiting. Since then Letty has lived with limitations and pain.
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Late referral
Of the patients who responded to the Osteoporosis Association survey, only 40 percent were immediately referred for further investigation after they presented to their practitioner with a fracture. This is despite the fact that the official medical Guideline on Osteoporosis Prevention and Fractures indicates that anyone who breaks a bone and is over the age of 50 should undergo further examination for osteoporosis.
This examination is done with a DEXA scan, which measures bone density. Almost all respondents ultimately had a DEXA scan. For 48 percent this did not happen immediately. They were only referred after insistence by their general practitioner, a specialist for another disease, sports doctor, or another practitioner.
Research into osteoporosis is done with a DEXA scan, which measures bone density.
Internist, orthopedist or geriatrician
According to Witte, clinical osteoporosis care can also be improved. “If you are already referred, you will end up with an internist in one hospital, with the orthopedics department or a geriatrician in another. With other diseases, such as dementia or diabetes, it is much better organized.”
But there is hope: new guidelines for osteoporosis care have recently been drawn up by the Federation of Medical Specialists.
‘You can do a lot with the right information’
For Witte, this is an important step in the right direction: “This can form a crucial new chapter in the organization of healthcare. Better and more efficient, with more knowledge of the disease and with new medicines.”
“With the right information, you can do a lot as a patient: strengthen your bones, build muscle, exercise for better balance. Certain sports are fine, such as walking and even running. And of course eat a healthy and varied diet, and supplement with extra calcium and vitamin D, or with medication.”
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‘I’ll walk 7 kilometers again someday’
Letty has now purchased a tricycle with which she can cycle. And with the help of an orthopedic corset she can walk safely. “Now those are short distances and it will never be the same as it was. But my goal is to walk 7 kilometers in a day again, or to cycle 25 kilometers in a day with my tricycle.”
“I hope there will be more awareness about what osteoporosis means and who can get it. Everyone should know that this is really a serious matter.”
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2023-10-19 05:00:01
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