A person who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis may be fearful or unprepared, wondering ‘what do I do next?’.  The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)’s new ‘Build Better Bones’ platform aims to answer that question by providing practical guidance to help people with osteoporosis move ahead proactively along their journey to building stronger bones. The key message: with appropriate treatment and lifestyle interventions, people with osteoporosis can improve their bone health and thrive beyond their diagnosis. 

On the occasion of World Osteoporosis Day the English-language platform has been newly translated into French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish, with additional languages expected in the future. 

The ‘Build Better Bones’ platform provides easy-to-follow guidance on enhancing bone strength and minimizing the risk of osteoporotic fractures through targeted exercise and bone-healthy dietary choices. As people living with osteoporosis can break a bone by falling from a standing height, ‘Build Better Bones’ also gives insights into fall prevention and home safety hazards.

Physical activity is paramount to maintaining bone health, and ‘Build Better Bones’ emphasizes the importance of balance and function-based exercises, strength training, and bone-loading workouts. The platform includes an extensive exercise knowledge base, with information on warm-up exercises and safe workout practices. Users can access simple video animations tailored to their fitness goals and target areas. Each exercise includes detailed instructions and can be downloaded in PDF format for offline convenience.

Professor Olivier Bruyère, Co-chair of the IOF Rehabilitation Working Group stated, "While anti-osteoporosis medications are vitally important for fracture prevention and to prevent further bone loss in people with osteoporosis, targeted exercise plays an essential role in helping patients build muscle strength, improve balance, and maintain physical function. Nutrition is another important component of osteoporosis management. Indeed, a balanced diet that provides enough protein, calcium, as well as other bone-healthy nutrients, is of great benefit to bone health in people of all ages, not just those with osteoporosis.”

Older adults with osteoporosis or recovering from a fracture often rely on support from family caregivers. Caregivers may be needed to help with daily tasks, to facilitate medical visits and to offer emotional support – all of which help older adults live in their own homes for longer. ‘Build Better Bones’ includes guidance to empower caregivers in providing optimal care by giving tips on how to advocate for patients, information about treatment options, and response measures in the event of a fall. A new leaflet ‘Essential Caregiver Tips for Osteoporosis Support’ developed by IOF is also available on the platform. 

Dr Philippe Halbout, CEO of IOF, added, “IOF’s mission is to help people worldwide maintain their mobility and independence as they age. That’s why we’re so excited that the platform is now available in multiple languages, making it accessible to osteoporosis patients and their caregivers in close to 150 countries. We also hope that the platform becomes a trusted resource recommended by physicians to their patients with osteoporosis, as well as being a go-to resource for anyone who wishes to maintain their bone health and reduce their risk of osteoporosis and related fractures.”

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About Build Better Bones

‘Build Better Bones’ was developed by IOF together with international experts from the IOF Rehabilitation Working Group. The platform provides practical, easy-to-follow guidance on exercise, nutrition and fall prevention that helps people with osteoporosis be proactive and thrive beyond their diagnosis. In addition, there is information for caregivers who are so often an essential support for older adults who have osteoporosis or are recovering after an osteoporotic fracture.  
For further information, visit the ‘Build Better Bones’ platform at www.buildbetterbones.org 

About IOF
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world's largest nongovernmental organization dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including committees of scientific researchers as well as more than 325 patient, medical and research organizations, work together to make fracture prevention and healthy mobility a worldwide healthcare priority. www.osteoporosis.foundation  @iofbonehealth

About World Osteoporosis Day
World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) is marked annually on October 20 to raise awareness of bone health and osteoporosis prevention. The campaign, this year under the banner of ‘Build Better Bones’, calls for global action to fight osteoporosis and related fractures worldwide.
www.worldosteoporosisday.org  

WOD 2023 Official Partners: Amgen, Sunsweet, Zuellig Pharma