Soaring death toll from weak bones

MORE than 2,000 people in England die every year as a result of weakened bones - a rise of 25 per cent since 1990, a major study has found.

- By Lucy Johnston SOCIAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

The Lancet study, published this month, shows England's death rate from "low bone mineral density" is 3.8 per 100,000 people - equivalent to approximately 2,150 deaths in a single year.

Crucially, this figure is adjusted to remove the effect of England's ageing population.

That means the rise cannot simply be explained by more people living longer.

This contrasts with countries like Ireland, Spain and Japan, which have recorded lower death rates from fragile bones.

The report data, gathered as part of the Global Burden of Disease project, which tracks health risks worldwide, was based on data over 30 years between 1990 and 2020 - the latest available.

The report data, analysed by the Royal Osteoporosis Society for the Sunday Express, also shows that more than 220,000 years of healthy life are lost every year in England due to fractures and disability caused by weakened bones. Yet several Western European nations including France, Italy and Portugal - have seen significant improvements over the same period.