Islanders wanted for bone study

Osteoporosis causes 300,000 fractures every year

Researchers are looking for about 2,000 volunteers from Orkney to help them identify genes that cause osteoporosis.

The scientists from Edinburgh hope that using an "isolated and stable" population for the study will make it easier to identify specific genes.

A spokesman said currently only 5% of genetic factors contributing to the bone-thinning disease were known about.

If successful, the study could lead to new medications and help determine those predisposed to osteoporosis.

The £240,000 project is being conducted by scientists from Edinburgh University.

Professor Stuart Ralston from the university said the team hoped to undertake genetic mapping studies with several large families from Orkney.

He said: "With this project we will try and discover the location of the genes and identify the genes that influence bone density and predispose to this common condition.

If 100 people in a big city had osteoporosis there might be 100 different reasons why they had it, many of which would be genetic Dr Jim Wilson

"We know that genetic factors make about an 80% contribution to people developing low bone density, but we only know about 5% of them."

Dr Jim Wilson, of the Medical Research Council's human genetics unit, added: "You couldn't do this sort of study in a large city like Edinburgh because there are people from all over the world and therefore too many genetic influences, so it would be very hard to disentangle those that are involved in predisposition to osteoporosis.

"If 100 people in a big city had osteoporosis there might be 100 different reasons why they had it, many of which would be genetic."

Recruitment for the study, which is being funded by the medical research charity, the Arthritis Research Campaign, begins this month.

Recruits will have their bone mineral density tested and blood and DNA samples taken.

Osteoporosis, which is mainly caused by inherited genes, affects about three million people in the UK and causes 300,000 fractures every year.