Day: August 19, 2025

In a bid to raise awareness of osteoporosis, the Lydia Osteoporosis team at Queen Margaret University (QMU) will be holding its first Osteoporosis Community Café at QMU.

The event offers a supportive environment for people with osteoporosis or caring for someone living with the condition to share their experiences, challenges and successes and learn more about ways of living well with the condition.

In the UK, osteoporosis affects over 3 million people, including 250,000 in Scotland, causing approximately 527,000 fractures each year. Although it is frequently perceived as a condition primarily affecting postmenopausal women (affecting 1 in 2 women over 50), evidence indicates that osteoporosis affects approximately 1 in 5 men over the age of 50. Given its often ‘silent’ progression until fractures occur, it frequently evades diagnosis until it reaches an advanced stage.

Osteoporosis is a common condition which silently undermines bone strength, due to a loss of bone mass, over time. It can go undetected until a simple fall or sudden impact results in a debilitating fracture. Typically, individuals with osteoporosis experience fractures in their wrists, hips, or vertebrae. Compression fractures in the spine can happen with little or no trauma, leading to back pain, loss of height and changes in posture.

The group, which will bring people together from across Edinburgh, The Lothians and beyond, will enjoy a light lunch and the opportunity to chat with each other and the research team at Queen Margaret University.

The Lydia Osteoporosis Project team conducts research, education and awareness raising about osteoporosis, and was established by a group of nurses at Queen Margaret University in 2011, and has since grown to include additional nurses and Allied Health Care Professionals.

Dr Karen Matthews is the lead for the project and is on a mission to highlight the risks of osteoporosis and increase awareness of it as a public health priority. Preventative strategies, such as promoting healthy lifestyles, calcium and vitamin D intake, as well as weight bearing exercises, are so important in both preventing and managing osteoporosis.

As part of her outreach work, Victoria Waqa, Nurse Lecturer for Lydia Osteoporosis Project, is keen to bring people together who are living with the condition, and enable supportive conversations around osteoporosis. She said: “Often people are unaware they have osteoporosis until they facture a bone, so the condition can creep up on people.

“A diagnosis of the condition can be a major shock and often people don’t know which way to turn or how to move forward with managing the condition, but there is so much people can do to live well. It’s important we share that message.”

Victoria confirmed: “Currently, there’s just not enough public awareness of osteoporosis – how to avoid it or how to best manage the condition after diagnosis. The point of the Osteoporosis Community Café at QMU is to find out what people need and want to know more about, and to support them with helpful information and tips for managing the condition.

“This may be around safe exercise, healthy lifestyle choices, or so much more. We can also share our research with people and inform them about our Osteoporosis Symposium that we are planning to hold at Queen Margaret University in 2026.”

The group will meet on Thursday 28th August from 1-3pm (meet at reception at 12.45pm).

Secure your place by email by 21st August to lydiaosteoporosisproject@qmu.ac.uk  

Give details of any dietary or accessibility needs when booking.

Car parking is free for visitors in August (access QMU car park off A1).