Her Majesty The Queen Consort Supports a Cause Close to her Heart by unveiling New Home for Osteoporosis Charity

New figures show the urgent need for awareness, as thousands of people at higher risk of osteoporosis are missing the simple lifestyle changes needed to keep their bones strong

50,000 people have risk checked since The Queen Consort helped launch new tool last October, with data suggesting it led to thousands of new diagnoses

Today (25 January), Her Majesty The Queen Consort officially opened the new city centre offices of national charity, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS).

Her Majesty has a long-standing relationship with the ROS following her late mother’s and late grandmother’s devastating experiences of osteoporosis. Since 1994, The Queen Consort has been one of the most effective and high-profile communicators globally in highlighting a condition which has been characterised by passivity and low awareness.

Half of women and one fifth of men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. The condition causes bones to weaken and fracture following simple injuries – including a cough, a fall from standing height, or even a hug from grandchildren. Fractures caused by osteoporosis are one of the most urgent threats to people living well in later life, and to the independence and freedom people deserve.

During her visit, Her Majesty heard the early results of the charity’s new Osteoporosis Risk Checker, which she helped launch on World Osteoporosis Day (20 October) last year. Since then, over 50,000 people have used the online tool, with over 12,000 people (24%) learning they had a sufficient number of key risk factors to warrant an urgent trip to see their doctor. The bone-weakening condition is commonly linked to family history of hip fractures or use of steroid-based medications.

The scale of the public education challenge is shown in the results of the 50,000 responses: Thousands of people found to be at higher risk were not taking preventative action to keep their bones strong. 43% of people who completed the risk checker were not taking a daily vitamin D supplement, 40% of people weren’t getting enough calcium, and 53% weren’t taking the recommended amount of exercise.

Launching the risk checker, in a previous message, Her Majesty The Queen Consort, said:

“Both my grandmother and my mother died as a result of osteoporosis. At the time, the disease was seldom discussed, rarely diagnosed and was usually acknowledged as an unavoidable part of growing older. 

“Osteoporosis continues to have a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people and the people they love. But now, thankfully, we know far more about the causes, symptoms and available treatments. I would like to encourage you to “check your risk” and to discover the easy steps that we can all take to improve bone health throughout our lives.”  

Armed with their personalised results, users have successfully accessed treatment they might otherwise have missed out on, thereby preventing life-changing fractures and reducing pressure on hospital beds and ambulances. Over 100 people have told the ROS they’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis since completing the risk checker, suggesting as many as 5,000 new diagnoses as a result of the campaign.

Craig Jones, Chief Executive at the Royal Osteoporosis Society, said:

“Osteoporosis has traditionally been a low-profile condition, yet half of women over 50 will be affected by it. That’s every other mother, every other grandmother. People can check their risk in five minutes, so those who need it can get access to safe, effective therapies to prevent fractures. With a timely diagnosis, osteoporosis is beatable, but we need greater awareness of bone health and how much it can shape our experience of later life.”

During her visit to the new ROS offices, Her Majesty met with specialist nurses who run the charity’s free Helpline, which answers 13,000 enquiries a year, providing support and information for people living with osteoporosis and their family members.

After meeting with staff and volunteers, Her Majesty attended an event at the Guildhall, Bath’s most prestigious civic building, to celebrate the ROS’s move into the city. Bath has a proud medical history, with the thermal spa having been influential in the development of rheumatology as a distinct clinical specialty.

During the event, Her Majesty met with other supporters, including Annette Browne, 64, who suffered four painful spinal fractures due to osteoporosis.

Annette said:

“It was such a pleasure to meet Her Majesty today and I hope her involvement helps more people to understand osteoporosis and take simple steps to strengthen their bones earlier in life. This can make such a difference to people’s quality of life later on.”