Research

ULiège joins WHO in the fight against osteoporosis and age-related musculoskeletal diseases


In Research

A hip fracture every three seconds, 500 million patients worldwide, a loss of muscle mass in the elderly that could affect 13 to 22% of the population by 2045, one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50 suffering a potentially fatal fragility fracture... The prevalence of age-related musculoskeletal diseases (osteoporosis, sarcopenia, osteoarthritis) is increasing.

"The social and economic cost of these diseases, which are moreover globally underestimated, is greater than the cost of treating breast cancer and myocardial infarction combined, without minimising the impact of these diseases ", stresses Prof. Dr. Jean-Yves Reginster, whose Epidemiology and Health Economics service in the Public Health Department of the ULiège Faculty of Medicine has been recognised since 2017 as the only World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for all aspects related to ageing of the musculoskeletal system.

A turning point in the awareness of the ravages of osteoporosis came in February 2023 with the agreement between WHO and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO), a Belgian non-profit organisation based in Liège and chaired by Professor Reginster. "This important agreement with the WHO means that there is recognition that action needs to be taken to address the fragility fracture crisis, and that osteoporosis is on the list of global health priorities," says Jean-Yves Reginster.

As part of this five-year collaboration, the WHO, in collaboration with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the WHO Collaborating Centre at ULiège, will undertake a major research project.

This will involve collecting data on the prevalence and incidence of osteoporosis and fractures worldwide, and reviewing the evidence on interventions to prevent fractures in older people. The aim is to contribute to the development of guidelines and lead to research-based decisions in health policy around the world. For its part, WHO has committed to producing a series of key publications on these research findings, as well as recommendations for interventions to prevent fractures.

"This information, published and relayed by WHO through its global network, will hopefully lead to profound changes in the management of people with osteoporosis," concludes Jean-Yves Reginster, who is pleased with the important role ULiège is playing in supporting WHO's work in the field of musculoskeletal diseases related to population ageing.

Contacts

Pr Jean-Yves Reginster, President, ESCEO

Pr Olivier Bruyère, Managing Director, ESCEO

Pr Étienne Cavalier, General Secretary, ESCEO

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