Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon Ms Anna Moon says women lose bone fastest around their final period, and most have no idea it's happening

DROITWICH SPA, 16 October 2026 – Hot flushes and brain fog now attract plenty of attention. But during World Menopause Awareness Month (October), a Worcestershire orthopaedic surgeon says women are missing the change that may matter most in the long run, because it causes no symptoms until a bone breaks.

Ms Anna Moon, MD, PhD, Consultant Orthopaedic and Hand Surgeon and founder of The Bonegevity Clinic, calls bone loss “the silent menopause symptom”. She warns that the window to act is narrower than most women realise.

Research from the landmark SWAN study, which followed women through the menopause transition, found that women lose bone fastest from around one year before their final period to two years after it. By the time many women think to ask about their bones, that window has already passed.

“As a hand surgeon, I'm often the first doctor to see the warning sign,” says Ms Moon. “A woman in her fifties trips on the pavement, puts her hand out and breaks her wrist. Too often, nobody asks why a simple fall broke a bone. That fracture is a message, and we should be listening.”

The numbers are stark. One in two women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, and a previous fracture roughly doubles the risk of another. Women account for seven in ten hip fractures in England and Wales, and around half of hip fracture survivors don't get back their previous mobility within a year.

Losing weight, losing bone? The weight-loss jab conundrum

With huge numbers of midlife women now using weight-loss injections, Ms Moon says bone and muscle need to be part of the conversation. In a 2024 trial of mainly postmenopausal women, those taking semaglutide had lower bone density at the hip and spine than those on placebo after a year. In a major tirzepatide study, around a quarter of the weight lost was lean tissue, which includes muscle.

“These medicines can be life-changing, and I'm not telling anyone to stop,” she says. “But losing weight without a plan for your bones and muscles is like renovating a house and forgetting the foundations.”

“Normal” isn't always reassuring
In one large study, three-quarters of women who broke a bone had bone density in the normal or only mildly reduced range.

That's why The Bonegevity Clinic, based at Droitwich Spa Hospital, looks beyond density alone. Its one-hour assessment combines a radiation-free REMS ultrasound scan of the hip and spine with tests of grip strength and body composition and a review of your medical history, your current medication and diet.

The scan gives both bone density and a Fragility Score, the % of visceral fat and metabolic activity. Each woman leaves with a personal plan and a report for her GP. Women can self-refer.

“UK women live to around 83 on average, but only around 61 of those years are spent in good health,” says Ms Moon. “The question isn't just how long we live; it's how well we live those last twenty years. The best fracture is the one that never happens.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Ms Anna Moon is available for interview on:

• why menopause is the critical window for bone health
• the wrist fracture as an early warning sign
• weight-loss injections and protecting muscle and bone
• why a “normal” bone scan doesn't always mean low risk
• simple strength and nutrition habits for women in their 40s and 50s

The Bonegevity Clinic is at Droitwich Spa Hospital: bonegevityclinic.com|info@bonegevityclinic.com|07340 651 908

Sources: SWAN study (Greendale et al., 2012); Royal Osteoporosis Society; REDUCE (2023); Dyer et al. (2016); Hansen et al. (2024); SURMOUNT-1 DXA substudy (Look et al., 2025); Rotterdam Study (Trajanoska et al., 2018); ONS 2022–2024.

Media contact: [info@Bonegevityclinic.com / Jane Green (secretary) 07340 651 908]