Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis (bone brittleness) can affect children and adolescents as well as adults, but the risk of developing the condition rises steeply with advancing age. In Scandinavia, the risk of incurring osteoporotic fractures is the highest worldwide, for reasons that are still unclear.

Osteoporosis results in a weakening of the skeleton. As such, it causes no symptoms, but the associated fractures can have severe repercussions, such as reducing quality of life, impairing physical function and a raising the risk of morbidity and death. Among people who suffer a hip fracture, one in four dies within a year. Apart from the victims’ suffering, osteoporotic fractures impose heavy costs and an immense burden on health care services. Of all inpatients in Swedish hospitals, only stroke victims need more days’ care.

Our research

We are engaged in studies intended to expand knowledge of what causes the condition and develop more reliable and effective treatments. We are also seeking to identify new risk markers that can indicate whether individuals are at high risk for bone fractures. It is the patients at highest risk who benefit most from osteoporosis medication. Our researchers work on: 

• Identifying genetic and environmental factors that can explain why so many people in Sweden suffer osteoporotic fractures.
• Identifying new drug targets for more efficacious pharmaceutical treatments, without side effects, to prevent fractures.
• Developing oestrogen therapy that involves no side effects for the patients.
• Understanding how the gut flora affects the skeleton and how probiotics can be used to prevent bone loss and fractures.
• Developing knowledge of how to prevent fractures and bone-related complications in children with kidney failure, diabetes and anorexia.
• Improving clinically accessible instruments for assessing fracture risk.
• Identifying specific routines and measures in health care that result in fewer fractures.

Important findings:

• Mapping of how hormones and genes affect bone mass and fracture risk. These studies have yielded ground-breaking knowledge of what causes osteoporosis.
• Charting the effects of inflammatory diseases on bone mass.
• Showing — another first for our researchers — that intestinal bacteria affect the skeleton, and that probiotics (dietary supplements with health-promoting bacteria) can reduce bone loss in women.
• Finding out that older patients receiving drug treatment for osteoporosis are protected against hip fractures after cortisone therapy is commenced.

Research environments, networks, and ongoing studies

The Sahlgrenska Osteoporosis Centre comprises two units: the Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research (CBAR), a translational unit headed by Professor Claes Ohlsson, and the patient-centred Osteoporosis Clinic where Professor Mattias Lorentzon is Chief Physician.

Find all research projects within the Institute of Medicine

Research groups

Group leaders - research groups

• Andrei Chagin
• Cecilia Engdahl
• Helena Forsblad-d'Elia
• Louise Grahnemo
• Petra Henning
• Ulrika Islander
• Helena Johansson
• Jenny Kindblom
• Marie Lagerquist
• Kerstin Landin-Wilhelmsen
• Ulf Lerner
• Mattias Lorentzon
• Sofia Movérare Skrtic
• Claes Ohlsson
• Anders Palmquist
• Matti Poutanen
• Klara Sjögren
• Diana Swolin-Eide
• Liesbeth Vandenput

Learn more

Publications by our researchers in the field of osteoporosis
Our research methods