Discussing Comorbidities with Your Patients

When discussing osteoporosis with your patients, it is essential to consider how their comorbidities and other treatments may impact bone health and increase fracture risk. Validate their concerns by acknowledging that certain chronic conditions and therapies are linked to bone loss.

Help patients understand the link between their comorbidities, bone health and fracture risk. Reassure them that there are effective treatments can minimise their risk.

Explain how chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can lead to bone loss due to prolonged inflammation and the use of glucocorticoids or corticosteroids. Highlight that conditions like coeliac disease may impair nutrient absorption, particularly calcium, increasing osteoporosis risk.

Address the implications of low body weight, often related to eating disorders, and how it correlates with lower bone mass and elevated fracture risk. Discuss how cognitive impairments, such as dementia, increase the risk of falls and further reduce bone density. Mention that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are associated with higher rates of osteoporosis.

Reassure patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer or aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer that bone health is manageable. Emphasise the availability of effective treatments that can minimise the pharmacological burden. Encourage them to ask questions and involve them in creating a comprehensive care plan that addresses these factors.

Finally, please direct them to the Individuals and Families section of our website for further resources and support.