The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has backed the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS, UK) in their criticism of NICE guidance on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
Judy Stenmark, IOF Chair of the Committee of National Societies said "we support any initiative that is moving forward to improve care for osteoporosis patients but in this instance we do not believe this is the case."
"Bone health is important for personal quality of life and preventing fractures is an important cost saving issue in any healthcare system," she said.
Prof Juliet Compston, Chair of the EU Osteoporosis Consultation Panel, said "there are still major gaps in care, around the world, that deny many people the opportunity for timely osteoporosis treatment to prevent fractures. Instead of leading fracture prevention policies, the UK is lagging behind."
The National Osteoporosis Society labelled the new NICE guidance as short-sighted. Nick Rijke, Public and External Affairs Director at the NOS, stated "we remain deeply dissatisfied with the guidance that NICE has produced."
The main issues are;
- women who cannot tolerate alendronate must wait and become significantly worse before they are eligible for alternate treatments in the UK. This particularly affects the frail elderly population
- men at high risk of fracture and men and women taking steroids are excluded from the guidance, as are newer treatments such as ibandronate and zoledronate
- NICE guidance is highly influential in many other countries, and uncritical acceptance is likely to affect millions of sufferers of osteoporosis and their carers in many regions of the world
- the WHO-supported Fracture Risk Assessment Tool. FRAX®, is not incorporated in NICE guidance
The IOF backs the NOS in calling for a fresh appraisal of the NICE guidance.
Osteoporosis, in which the bones become porous and break easily, is one of the world's most common and debilitating diseases. The result: pain, loss of movement, inability to perform daily chores, and in many cases, death. Around the world, one out of three women over 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will one out of five men (1, 2, 3). Unfortunately, screening for people at risk is far from being a standard practice. Osteoporosis can, to a certain extent, be prevented, it can be easily diagnosed and effective treatments are available.
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the only worldwide organization dedicated to the fight against osteoporosis. It brings together scientists, physicians, patient societies and corporate partners. Working with its 188 member societies in 91 locations, and other healthcare-related organizations around the world, IOF encourages awareness and prevention, early detection and improved treatment of osteoporosis.
For more information on osteoporosis and IOF please visit: www.iofbonehealth.org or contact:
International Osteoporosis Foundation
Tel. +41 22 994 0100, Fax. +41 22 994 0101
E-mail: news@iofbonehealth.org
Ref: 1. Melton U, Chrischilles EA, Cooper C et al. How many women have osteoporosis? Journal of Bone Mineral Research, 1992; 7:1005-10
2. Kanis JA et al. Long-term risk of osteoporotic fracture in Malmo. Osteoporosis International, 2000; 11:669-674
3. Melton LJ, et al. Bone density and fracture risk in men. JBMR. 1998; 13: No 12:1915.
Journal
Osteoporosis International