International Paget's Awareness Day 2021 is focusing on the important topic of treatment, its history and the research changing how Paget’s disease may be managed in the future.

What is Paget's disease?

Paget’s disease affects the normal repair and renewal process of bone. Throughout life, bone is renewed and repaired through a process called bone remodelling. Paget’s disease is characterised by abnormalities in this process. The affected bone is renewed and repaired at an increased rate, adversely affecting the bone’s structure. Bone affected by Paget's disease may be enlarged and misshapen.
Paget’s disease can occur in any bone, often causes no symptoms and may be found by chance. For those with symptoms, these may include pain, deformity and fracture. Either single or multiple bones may be affected with common sites being the spine, skull, pelvis and thigh (femur).
The risk of developing Paget’s disease increases with age and it is most commonly diagnosed in those over 50 years. It is the second most common metabolic bone disease after osteoporosis. Approximately 1% of people in the UK, over the age of 55 years, are thought to be affected.

Diagnosis and treatment

The condition can be identified in one of the following ways, but in many cases, Paget’s disease is found by chance when tests are carried out for another reason:

• Blood tests
• X-rays
• Bone scans

In some cases, Paget’s does not cause any symptoms and requires no treatment, however a good assessment is still necessary. Treatment may be recommended if the affected bones are painful or if Paget's disease affects a site that might be expected to cause complications. Treatments include:

• Treatment with bisphosphonates
• Zoledronate  treatment
  

Available support
There is support out there for those with Paget's disease, including from:

• Paget's Awareness
• From the NHS
• Pain UK

Do any of you have experience of Paget's disease or know somebody who has the condition?