Building Stronger Futures: Supporting Women’s Health on World Osteoporosis Day

The Great British Bone Check microsite development was funded by a grant from Theramex. 

By Sandy Lindsey, General Manager, UK & IRE, Theramex

In the UK alone, an estimated 3.5 million people live with osteoporosis.¹ Fragility fractures, a clinical outcome of osteoporosis², cause over 500,000 broken bones every year and cost the NHS over £4.5 billion.³ 

This World Osteoporosis Day (WOD), we at Theramex stand alongside women and our advocates to raise awareness of osteoporosis – a condition that silently impacts millions.^4,5 

Shining a Light on a Hidden Crisis 

At Theramex, we are committed to supporting women at every stage of life, through building trust as a responsible healthcare partner and championing initiatives that support the education and the empowerment of women in managing their health. Despite advances in diagnostics, some areas of treatment, and care pathways, too many patients remain undiagnosed or untreated.⁶ 

One in two women over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime, compared with one in five men⁵ – a statistic that should not define women’s futures. The urgency is clear: women are disproportionately affected by osteoporosis, particularly around menopause, when bone health naturally declines.⁷ With an ageing population,⁸ the burden of osteoporosis will only grow. 

Theramex recognises that change requires collaboration, between healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, policymakers, and women themselves. 

This year’s WOD theme, It’s Unacceptable!, calls attention to the persistent and preventable crisis in osteoporosis care.⁹ With so many broken bones that could have been prevented, we join the International Osteoporosis Foundation in saying: it is indeed unacceptable. 

In the UK, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) has launched The Great British Bone Check, a free, three-minute risk assessment tool designed to help people understand their risk of osteoporosis.¹⁰ 

Unequal Access, Unequal Outcomes 

For too long, women’s health has been under-researched and under-funded.¹¹ Success depends on collaboration and when women’s experiences are listened to and acted upon, we can drive better outcomes in conditions which disproportionately impact women, like osteoporosis. 

With the UK Government relooking at the Women’s Health Strategy, we have an important opportunity to address these historic inequalities and build a healthcare system that properly reflects women’s needs at every stage of life.¹² 

Empowering Women Through Awareness 

Osteoporosis and fragility fractures are not an inevitable part of ageing. With lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate vitamin D, everyone can support their bone health.¹³ 

But it starts with awareness, and that’s why initiatives like The Great British Bone Check can be so powerful. Together, we can break the cycle of missed diagnoses and untreated fractures.¹⁴ More information can be found at the Royal Osteoporosis Society. 

¹ Royal Osteoporosis Society. Making osteoporosis a priority for politicians. Available at: https://theros.org.uk/how-you-can-help/get-involved/campaign-with-us/making-osteoporosis-a-priority-for-politicians/#:~:text=Share-,Making%20osteoporosis%20a%20priority%20for%20politicians,receiving%20the%20treatment%20they%20need. [Last accessed October 2025]. 
² IOF. Fragility Fractures. Available at: https://www.osteoporosis.foundation/health-professionals/fragility-fractures. [Last accessed October 2025] 
³ International Osteoporosis Foundation. Broken bones, broken lives: A roadmap to solve the fragility fracture crisis in Europe 2018 audit. 2019. Available at: https:/www.osteoporosis.foundation/sites/iofbonehealth/files/2019-06/7. 2018_EU6UK_Report_BrokenBonesBrokenLives_English.pdf [Last accessed October 2025]. 
⁴ NIAMS. Osteoporosis. Available at: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoporosis [Last accessed October 2025]. 
⁵ Royal Osteoporosis Society. Making osteoporosis a priority for politicians. Available at: https://theros.org.uk/how-you-can-help/get-involved/campaign-with-us/making-osteoporosis-a-priority-for-politicians/#:~:text=Share-,Making%20osteoporosis%20a%20priority%20for%20politicians,receiving%20the%20treatment%20they%20need. [Last accessed October 2025]. 
⁶ Jones R A, et al. Models of care for osteoporosis: A systematic scoping review of efficacy and implementation characteristics. eClinicalMedicine, Volume 38, 101022. 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101022. 
⁷ Endocrine Society. Menopause and Bone Loss. Available at: https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/menopause-and-bone-loss?utm_. [Last accessed October 2025]. 
⁸ World Health Organization. Menopause. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause [Last accessed October 2025]. 
⁹ IOF. About the 2025 World Osteoporosis Day Campaign. Available at: https://www.worldosteoporosisday.org/get-involved. [Last accessed October 2025].
¹⁰ ROS. The Great British Bone Check. Available at: https://greatbritishbonecheck.org.uk/. [Last accessed October 2025].
¹¹ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A New Vision for Women’s Health Research: Transformative Change at the National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28586.
¹² Parallel Parliament. Healthcare Bolton. Available at: https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/debate/2025-10-15/commons/westminster-hall/healthcare-bolton. [Last accessed October 2025]. 
¹³ NHS. Prevention. Osteoporosis Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/prevention/?utm_. [Last accessed October 2025]. 
¹⁴ Guly HR Diagnostic errors in an accident and emergency department. Emergency Medicine Journal 2001;18:263-269.