Today is World Osteoporosis Day. To mark the day, we teamed up with the Danish Osteoporosis Association and asked people with osteoporosis how it is to live with the condition.

Worldwide, more than 200 million people live with osteoporosis, affecting one in three women and one in five men. In Denmark, the Danish Health Authority states that around 170,000 people have the diagnosis, not including unreported numbers.

But how is it to live with osteoporosis?

Through the Danish Osteoporosis Association, we have asked individuals with osteoporosis to share their experiences with us.

It is Too Hard to Find Information

The most shared experience is that it is too hard to find information about how to best manage the disease:

Because: Is medication or “the natural way” the right way to go? Which diet is best? What type of exercise is most beneficial for my bones? And how do I manage daily tasks?

These questions concern people with osteoporosis. However, the experience is that the answers are hard to find. According to the respondents, health personnel such as GPs and physicians do not know enough, and free access information at e.g. libraries is outdated.

“We have to figure out how to live with the disease for ourselves,” says Patricia Madsen.

However, the members are grateful for the opportunity to call a doctor or dietician at the Osteoporosis Association, which is an “invaluable support.”

Osteoporosis Preventions Schools

“There should be Osteoporosis Prevention schools in all regions that could ensure that people are on the right track regarding diet, exercise, and how to manage daily tasks”, says Irma Knudsen, a wish expressed by several.

Wishes for more research into e.g. calcium metabolism disorders, better communication to people with osteoporosis about the symptoms, and an information campaign to prevent the disease were also mentioned.

Curious to Know More?

Curious to know more about life with osteoporosis? Please check out the Danish Osteoporosis Association.

Curious to know more about the science behind the condition? We are planning a symposium on metabolic bone disease in May 2024. Sign up for our newsletter to be one of the first to know when we open for registration.

How Did We Ask?

The Danish Osteoporosis Association asked their followers on Facebook how it is to live with osteoporosis. Fourteen people replied.