National Magazine of Osteoporosis Australia
LATEST NEWS ● PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ● HELPFUL TIPS
National Action Plan Launches POSITION STATEMENT
Experts unite on calcium RESEARCH
Bone density testing RECIPE CORNER
Yummy morning tea idea Spring 2016
Welcome Welcome to the latest edition Osteoblast. As always, please feel free to share this with your family and friends. October 20 brings World Osteoporosis Day around and this year there is a focus on loving and protecting your bones. This is so important for maintaining a good quality of life as you age. In response, Osteoporosis Australia and other key interest groups have worked together to launch a national action plan to outline some recommendations to raise the profile of osteoporosis in Australia. Please remember, if you need information or advice, we have a toll free number for you to call – 1800 242 141. And you can always email us at admin@osteoporosis.org.au
Greg Lyubomirsky CEO
Osteoporosis National Action Plan Launches On World Osteoporosis Day 2016, osteoporosis interest groups came together to launch the Osteoporosis National Action Plan that clearly sets out 3 key areas for action: 1 Increasing Awareness & Support 2 Improving Osteoporosis Prevention & Treatment 3 Finding a Cure for Osteoporosis The National Action Plan outlines 20 recommendations to achieve these 1
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action items and stresses the human and clinical burden of osteoporosis and related fractures will only get worse unless action is taken now to combat this major health issue.
“Osteoporosis National Action Plan clearly sets out 3 key area for action” Greg Lyubomirsky CEO of Osteoporosis Australia said “We understand poor bone health is prevalent in Australia but we commonly overlook the scope of the problem – it leads to over 155,000 fractures each year, reducing quality of life and burdening the health system. Timely diagnosis and intervention needs to become the norm to reduce subsequent fractures.” The National Action Plan is signed by representatives from Australian & New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Osteoporosis Australia, and several universities including University of Sydney, University of NSW, Monash University and University of Melbourne. Andrew Giles, CEO of the Garvan Research Foundation said “These recommendations form the basis of real change in the area of osteoporosis. Work is already underway in some key areas to achieve positive change. Our call for action is loud and will be ongoing.” The National Action Plan details the best approaches to achieve action and details patient stories from both men and women affected by the disease. Research is also a key component of the plan. Researchers are confident the future will bring improvements in diagnonsis, treatment and understanding genetic factors.
New Genetics Research
Experts unite on calcium
Following controversial comments made by chef Pete Evans in regards to calcium, experts in the area, including OA Medical Director, Prof Peter Ebeling, released a joint statement in response. “Ensuring sufficient calcium intake is an important component for bone health across the entire lifespan. Dairy foods are an important and inexpensive source of calcium for many individuals, and most Australians obtain the majority of their calcium intake from dairy sources. Men and women with osteopaenia or osteoporosis should be reassured and confident that a good dairy intake does not have adverse effects upon skeletal health.” To read the full statement, please see the OA website.
In a world first, new Australian research has revealed that genetic profiling can help predict whether an individual will break a bone through osteoporosis. The findings, which arise from Australia’s globally-recognised Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study, are likely to contribute to clinical decision-making in future, bringing us one step closer to personalised medicine for bone disease. Professor Tuan Nguyen (Garvan Institute of Medical Research and University of Technology Sydney) led the new research. He explains, “Our study shows, for the first time, that we can classify an individual’s risk of breaking a bone much more reliably when we take genetic factors into account alongside clinical factors. This is a major step towards personalised medicine for osteoporosis. Once we have validated our findings in other populations, we will be looking to develop a cost-effective gene profiling test that will be available for clinicians to use. The test will determine a ‘genetic risk score’ on the basis of a blood sample, which contains ample DNA for profiling.”
Toll free helpline:
1800 242 141 SPRING 2016
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New Partnership
Osteoporosis Australia is pleased to announce a new partnership with MedAdvisor. Available free on smart phone, tablet or PC, MedAdvisor connects you to your local pharmacy to provide you with real time access to your personal medication records. Like other chronic diseases, taking your osteoporosis medications as directed (and in a timely way) is important to receive the full benefit of the medication and to reduce your risk of fracture. The service incorporates a variety of valuable features to help you do this, including medication reminders and pre-ordering of medications. Osteoporosis Australia joins other national health organisations like Diabetes Australia and Glaucoma Australia in partnering with MedAdvisor for this service. Currently, more than 240,000 + Australians use MedAdvisor to manage their medications. To join the MedAdvisor service please go to start. medadvisor.com.au/osteoporosis
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Know Your Bones Update
As reported in our previous issue, Osteoporosis Australia and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research launched the Know Your Bones in June 2016. The website is a patient focussed selfassessment tool that provides you with some points to discuss with your doctor about YOUR bone health. Know Your Bones has had over 44,000 visits since launch and is continuing to inform Australians about their bone health and risk of osteoporosis. Go to www.knowyourbones.org.au to take the test.
This yummy recipe will make a great morning tea snack while enjoying a coffee in the spring sunshine. It comes to us courtesy of our friends at The Dairy Kitchen, you can see their other recipes on their website.
Apple-Berry Cream Cheese Scrolls
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Method
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
1. Rub spread into the sifted flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre, add milk all at once and mix to a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly.
Ingredients 30g cold reduced fat dairy spread 2 cups self raising flour 3/4 cup reduced fat milk 1/2 cup reduced fat spreadable cream cheese 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 apple, finely chopped 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 2 tablespoons caster sugar
2. Roll out dough to a 1cm thick rectangle. Spread with cream cheese, sprinkle with cinnamon and then fruit and sugar. Roll up as for a Swiss roll and cut into 12 slices with a sharp serrated knife, wiping the knife between each cut. 3. Snuggly fit the scrolls into a 20cm x 30cm baking paper lined deep baking tray or slice tin and bake at 220°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked. Serve warm or cool with a glass of milk!
Experts recommend that people over 50 years of age have 1300mg of calcium every day SPRING 2016
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Thank you, Osteoporosis Carers
PET AMBASSADOR
Anyone who has experienced a fracture from osteoporosis knows how disruptive it can be for day to day living. Apart from the pain experienced and the time spent in hospital and rehabilitation it is often the inability to carry out simple daily tasks that have a big impact. The usual routines of working, driving, shopping or looking after children or grandchildren are affected and patients often rely heavily on family and friends for support. For people with serious osteoporosis, multiple fractures and reduced mobility the reliance on others is substantial and can be ongoing.
Luna loves to sport her bones t-shirt at the park! #LoveYourBones
For this reason it is important we recognise the role of carers in the area of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis Australia acknowledges the fantastic support, time and encouragement carers offer osteoporosis patients during their recovery. We hear many stories from patients explaining how their normal life stopped at the time of their fracture followed by a slow road to recovery and their dependence on others. The role of an osteoporosis carer is often overlooked and that is something we intend to change. Osteoporosis Australia had an information booth at the recent Carers Day Out hosted by Carers NSW. The event was a great opportunity to raise awareness about prevention and introduce the selfassessment Know Your Bones.
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