X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare genetic disorder that affects bone and dental health. It is characterized by low levels of the mineral phosphorus (sometimes referred to as “phosphate”) in the blood due to abnormal processing by the kidneys.
Join Dr. Angela Cheung as she will discusses what XLH is, the cause and symptoms, how to test for and diagnose the disease, prognosis and how to support patients.
This webinar for healthcare providers will provide information specific to the Health Canada recently approved biosimilar for denosumab.
Join Dr. Angela Cheung as she speaks to how the denosumab biosimilar compares to the reference drug, what physicians can expect from the clinical results, information on treatment plans, what healthcare providers need to communicate with their patients and more.
In the treatment of osteoporosis, biologic and biosimiar medications may be provided as part of a treatment plan. What do healthcare providers need to know?
Join Dr. Alan Low as he shares information on Biologics & Biosimilars – An Overview for Healthcare Providers. Information presented will include how biologics and biosimilars work, the benefits of biosimilars and how to speak to patients about these new treatment options.
The release of the Osteoporosis Canada 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline will support Canadian healthcare providers in providing the most current evidence-based information for patient centred care to optimise skeletal health and prevent fractures.
Join Dr. Suzanne Morin, lead author and Chair of the 2023 guideline steering committee, as she discusses an overview of the guideline which contain 25 recommendations and 10 good practice statements with a focus on exercise, nutrition, fracture risk assessment, treatment and more – reflecting advances in risk assessment, and non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic management of osteoporosis.
In October, a new guideline on the management of osteoporosis for Canadian healthcare providers, was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The guideline is intended for use by the general practitioner in the prevention, diagnosis and management of osteoporosis.
What does this guideline mean for Canadians and their bone health? What do you need to know?
Join Dr. Rowena Ridout as she presents an introduction to the new guideline with information on the main areas of focus: exercise, nutrition, fracture risk assessment, treatment and more.
All, Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare Providers, Information
Members of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council would like announce this year’s Lindy Fraser Award winner as chosen by the members of the SAC.
Osteoporosis Canada established this award in 1993 to recognize individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of osteoporosis research and education in Canada. The award is named in honour of Lindy Fraser, who in 1981 at the age of 87 started the first self-help group for people with osteoporosis. She herself was an inspiration to others as she shared her struggle to get out of bed, into a wheelchair, then to walk again with a cane. In 1982, she answered a call from a small group in Toronto to take part in the first national symposium on osteoporosis. That appearance was the spark that gave rise to Osteoporosis Canada.
This year’s award winner has shown immeasurable dedication and determination in the collaborative effort to achieve the common vision of Canada without osteoporotic fractures. Osteoporosis Canada recognizes Dr. Rowena Ridout.
Dr. Ridout is an endocrinologist at the Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network and a staff physician at the UHN/MSH Osteoporosis Programme. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate medical training at the University of Toronto. She has been involved in clinical research in osteoporosis including the attainment and maintenance of peak bone mass, the treatment of steroid-induced osteoporosis in children and interventions in the fracture clinic. She has been involved with Osteoporosis Canada for many years, and is currently the medical advisor for COPN and the vice chair of the SAC. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and her primary academic activity is teaching and education. Dr. Ridout is also involved with the Clinical Practice Guidelines update.
At this year’s Osteoporosis Canada AGM, Dr. Ridout was also presented with Osteoporosis Canada’s Backbone award for volunteering.
Congratulations Dr. Ridout!
After rigorous peer review, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) recently awarded the Fraser Health Authority team in British Columbia (BC), a three-year project team grant worth $500,000. The project, titled “Breaking the cycle of recurrent fracture: Scaling up a secondary fracture prevention program in Fraser Health to inform spread across British Columbia”, is co-led by Dr. Sonia Singh (Fraser Health clinician-researcher,) Larry Funnell (Patient partner researcher) and Dr. Tania Bubela (Simon Fraser University, Dean of Health Sciences). This project may well be the tipping point for Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) implementation in BC. This project will explore how the FLS model implemented at the Peace Arch Hospital (White Rock) in Fraser Health can be successfully adapted and scaled-up to other hospital sites within the health authority.
This leading-edge project aligns with the mandate of Osteoporosis Canada in supporting nation-wide implementation of effective secondary fracture prevention. One key expected outcome is to inform an FLS implementation strategy that can be used to spread the FLS model across BC, thereby improving patients’ quality of life after low-trauma fractures and decreasing health care costs related to recurrent fractures. The research findings from this project may result in dramatically improved access to appropriate osteoporosis care for fracture patients in BC and will impact future program planning of secondary fracture prevention across Canada.
Fracture Liaison Service, Healthcare Professionals, Highlighted
Mr. Larry Funnell, a long time Osteoporosis Canada volunteer, and Dr. Suzanne Morin, a member of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council, presented “Patient Engagement in Clinical Guidelines Development : Input from >1000 Members of the Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network” at the IOF ESCEO Conference being held in Paris, France.
Larry can be seen here at the podium delivering his presentation.
Congratulations to both Larry and Dr. Morin.
Dr. Marla Shapiro spoke at the recent CNS Day at World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO Paris 2019) on patient empowerment. Watch this short video where Dr. Shapiro speaks to the importance of knowing about osteoporosis and the risk of fractures associated with the disease. Know Your Risk. Visit Osteoporosis Canada’s website and Take the Quiz.