Osteoporosis is a silent disease, which often does not become apparent until after a fracture has occurred, a doctor has warned.

Osteoporosis is a condition in which there is a thinning of the bones, causing them to fracture more easily. This is due to a loss of bone mass, however a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the onset and extent of bone loss.

According to Dublin-based GP, Dr Seamus Mulholland, 15% of people over the age of 50 and 70% of people over the age of 80 are affected, yet despite the prevalence of this disease, many patients remain only partially treated or even untreated.

"Osteoporosis is much more common in women but also affects men and is often a consequence of lifestyle or chronic illness, such as eating disorders, alcoholism, chronic kidney disorder, premature menopause and reduced mobility," he explained.

The condition often only becomes apparent after a fracture has occurred, ‘when the personal, social and financial implications can be significant'. Furthermore, half of people who have experienced an osteoporosis-related fracture will go on to have another one, Dr Mulholland noted.

He believes that osteoporosis is best managed by GPs because they are the professionals ‘best placed to identify people at risk in the absence of a national screening programme'.

"Opportunistic screening of patients who attend the surgery for other reasons should be part of every consultation to identify those at risk," Dr Mulholland said.

However, he acknowledged that when osteoporosis is diagnosed, one of the main problems for doctors managing patients with osteoporosis is their ‘failure with compliance'.

"Up to 70% of patients stop their treatment within one year. Reasons for non-compliances include difficulty in remembering to take medication, intolerance of therapy and patients being unaware of the need for long-term treatment," he explained.

Dr Mulholland added that all osteoporosis patients should be routinely reviewed to ensure they are complying with their treatment.

He made his comments in Forum, the Journal of the Irish College of General Practitioners.