Tag: Lydia Osteoporosis team

Hidden osteoporosis crisis to be addressed at QMU symposium

Queen Margaret University (QMU) will host a major public event later this month to confront the long-standing lack of awareness and action surrounding osteoporosis, and positioning the condition firmly as a public health priority.

Despite affecting millions of people across the UK, osteoporosis remains one of the country’s most overlooked health conditions – often widely under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated, despite its potentially devastating and life-changing consequences.

In response, QMU’s Lydia Osteoporosis Symposium, taking place on Wednesday 20 May 2026, is on a mission to change that by raising awareness of the risks of osteoporosis and equipping people with the knowledge and tools needed to improve bone health and prevent fractures.

The symposium will bring together people living with osteoporosis, family members and carers, health and social care professionals, researchers and members of the wider community for a powerful and inclusive day of learning, discussion and shared experience.

Led by the Lydia Osteoporosis Project team, the event will highlight osteoporosis as a significant but neglected public health issue, while showcasing the latest research alongside practical, evidence-informed guidance on bone health and fracture prevention. All sessions have been designed to be accessible and engaging for all attendees.

The full-day programme will explore a wide range of topics, including lifelong bone health, osteoporosis care, and the role of nutrition, exercise and lifestyle in maintaining strong bones. Alongside expert presentations from leading health practitioners and researchers, attendees will also take part in interactive sessions shaped by both research, evidence and lived experience.

Gemma Stevenson, Project Lead of the Lydia Osteoporosis Project, said: “Too many people are living with the devastating consequences of osteoporosis without enough awareness, support or action.

“It is often described as a ‘silent’ condition, yet its consequences can be devastating, life changing and, in many cases, preventable. This symposium is about breaking that silence – making knowledge accessible, valuing lived experience, and empowering people to take action.

“By bringing communities, professionals and researchers together, we can challenge complacency, shift perceptions and drive the change needed to improve prevention, diagnosis and care.”

The symposium, which will run from 8:30am to 4:30pm at Queen Margaret University, is now fully booked – reflecting the growing demand for better understanding and action around osteoporosis.

University to hold first Osteoporosis Community Café

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).