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Welcome to the SCOOP Study Website

Osteoporosis is defined as a reduction in bone strength leading to an increased risk of “fragility fractures”.  These fractures have a major adverse impact on health in older people, particularly women.  The medicines currently used to help prevent and treat osteoporosis work by slowing the breakdown and loss of bone, and can reduce the risk of fracture substantially.  However, predicting which women are at high risk of fracture and therefore which would be the most likely to benefit from treatment has so far not been conducted in a systematic way. 

The SCOOP randomised controlled trial is a study designed to test a method of screening for risk of fracture for women aged 70 to 85 years.  Women in this age group recruited to the study will either be screened or managed as usual.  Those screened and considered at high risk will be offered treatment by their GPs.  The study will consist of 5 years follow-up and it is hoped that screening will reduce the number of fractures by around 25%.  Funding for the study has been secured from the Medical Research Council and Arthritis Research UK and it has been endorsed by the National Osteoporosis Society.  The study is co-ordinated by the University of East Anglia. 

This website is intended for participants in SCOOP.