The North West Remains a Hotspot for Paget's Disease 

Recently published research supported by the Paget’s Association has shown that the North West of England remains a hotspot for Paget’s Disease of Bone. Paget’s disease is a debilitating and underdiagnosed condition involving excessive breakdown and formation of bone, resulting in weakened bones, and often pain and deformity. The disease is thought to be caused by a combination of both genetic and environmental factors, but how the local environment is involved has remained a mystery. 

Researchers, based at the University of Manchester, reviewed medical records from a large UK primary care database to identify people newly diagnosed with the disease over the past two decades. Their recently published research found that the number of people newly diagnosed with Paget’s disease across the UK has decreased over the past 20 years, though the North West of England continues to be a regional hotspot within the UK.  Another finding was that Paget’s disease was also seen to be more frequent in areas of greater social deprivation. After adjustment for age and sex, the incidence was more than 30% higher in the most deprived areas, compared to the least.

According to Professor O’Neill, who led the research team, “Our findings confirm that the incidence of Paget’s disease in the UK is continuing to decrease.  The reason for this is unclear though likely to be due to change in one or more environmental factors”.  Professor Stuart Ralston, Chair of The Paget’s Association, said, “This is an important study in showing that environmental factors associated with poverty contribute to the occurrence of Paget’s disease of bone. It will now be important for researchers to identify what these factors are so that efforts can be made to further reduce occurrence of the disease” 

Further information regarding the above study and other Paget's research is available by following this link.

The Paget’s Association is a national UK charity providing information and support to all those affected by Paget’s Disease of Bone.  The Association funds quality research, raises awareness, and supports professionals to achieve excellence in both care and research.