Abstract
Osteoporosis is the most common chronic metabolic bone disease, known to be underdiagnosed and undertreated in parts of the Swiss population. Due to expected rise in new fragility fractures, adequate awareness of associated risk factors and diagnostic and therapeutic options will be essential for the management of osteoporosis. We therefore explored these aspects in a nationwide survey of Swiss specialists and their patients. A total of 262 physician questionnaires and 9065 patient questionnaires were analyzed, mainly from general practitioners (64.9%), followed by rheumatologists (16.8%), gynecologists (12.2%), and endocrinologists (6.1%). Around 20% of patients were under medication and/or had a medical condition increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Further risk factors, such as low consumption of calcium-rich foods, smoking, elevated alcohol intake, and insufficient physical activity, were present across regions and medical fields. 53.9% of patients did not take calcium/vitamin D supplements; 3.5% reported having fragility fractures, and 7.3% received treatment for osteoporosis. Only 38.5% of surveyed patients knew of the chronic nature of osteoporosis, indicating rather low awareness in this population. Despite generally perceived relevance of osteoporosis for daily practice, aspects of its prevention and management varied across regions and medical fields. Raising awareness among patients and physicians will be vital for addressing osteoporosis on a national scale.
Highlights
Osteoporosis is a growing health concern worldwide, with complications as prevalent as those of other common chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes [1]
A patient and a physician questionnaire were developed and utilized for a nationwide Bone Health Awareness (BHA) survey in Switzerland in order to generate representative field data on aspects of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis
None of the participating gynecologists or endocrinologists were from the Italian-speaking region
Summary
Osteoporosis is a growing health concern worldwide, with complications as prevalent as those of other common chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes [1]. It is the most common chronic metabolic bone disease and is defined as a progressive systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to an increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures [2,3,4]. Various risk factors have been identified for osteoporosis, including age, gender, a prior fracture, family history of fractures, and lifestyle-related risk factors such as physical inactivity and smoking [5]. Taken together with advanced age as another major risk factor, the population most commonly affected by osteoporosis are post-menopausal women [6]
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