Osteoporosis – characterised by depleted bone mass and disrupted bone architecture – is the commonest bone disease in the world. A report in the journal Archives of Osteoporosis estimated that, in 2010, there were 18,000 new fragility fractures in Ireland; the economic burden associated with previous and incident fragility fractures totalled €223 million; and over 6,000 quality-adjusted life years were lost. The report estimated that in 2025 there will be 28,000 new fragility fractures in Ireland at an economic cost of €320 million. They aimed to both identify emerging trends in hospitalisation for fragility fractures in Ireland and to estimate the number of osteoporotic fractures by 2046. But leaving health considerations aside, what might be the economic cost of what is arguably an osteoporotic time bomb?

Source: The Irish Times March 20, 2018 03:02 UTC