Burgenland opens its first osteoporosis outpatient clinic

Burgenland’s first outpatient clinic for osteoporosis has opened at Güssing Clinic, ORF reports. It has been seeing patients since the beginning of October.

About 550,000 people in Austria have osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and can lead to fractures. Around 80 percent of those affected are women, said Mimoza Shema-Kastrati, head of the clinic’s internal medicine department.

The outpatient clinic helps patients find an appropriate treatment. Doctors assess factors including vitamin D and calcium levels, and may recommend a healthy diet and exercise as part of a treatment plan. Patients should bring results from a bone density test and a spinal X-ray to their appointment.

At the clinic, staff calculate the patient’s FRAX score, which estimates the likelihood of a fracture over the next 10 years. They also review the patient’s records and carry out a spinal X-ray. Treatment is prescribed after the findings have been assessed.

Appointments are required and can be booked by phone or online.