Professor Zoe Paskins Lectured on “Challenges in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis” for the Faculty and Students of TNMU.

On October 22, 2024, an online lecture was held by Professor Zoe Paskins, a renowned rheumatology expert from Keele University, who serves as the clinical lead at the Haywood Metabolic Bone Centre and heads the Keele Osteoporosis Research Group. The event was organized by Professor Oksana Shevchuk from TNMU, with Professor Svitlana Smiyan and Professor Roman Komorovskyi co-chairing. Over 140 faculty clinicians, rheumatologists, interns, young scientists, and students attended the lecture.

In her presentation, Professor Paskins emphasized the importance of early osteoporosis diagnosis through bone mineral density measurements using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. She explained that the clinical definition of osteoporosis is based on a T-score, which indicates the disease’s presence at a value of ≤ -2.5. She noted that about 5.2% of the UK population suffers from osteoporosis, and the number of fractures due to bone fragility is increasing annually.

Special attention was given to the impact of osteoporotic fractures on patients, often accompanied by pain, loss of mobility, and reduced quality of life. The speaker also discussed osteoporosis’s economic burden on the healthcare system and highlighted communication challenges regarding osteoporosis risks and treatment, as patients often remain uncertain even after consultations.

Professor Paskins stressed that a decision-support tool should be paired with communication training for physicians, as sustainable results cannot be achieved without it. She also highlighted issues related to the unclear division of roles between primary and specialized healthcare and organizational differences in medical services across regions.

Professor Svitlana Smiyan also shared her insights, and participants actively engaged in the discussion and posed questions.

Our gratitude goes to Professor Zoe Paskins for her informative lecture and to all participants for their interest and engagement.