Paget’s Awareness Day Date in the current year: January 11, 2025

Paget’s disease of bone, commonly referred to as simply Paget’s disease, is a condition associated with irregularities in bone remodeling. Bone remodeling is a natural process in which the body constantly breaks down old bone tissue and replaces it with new bone tissue to maintain bone strength and repair minor damage.

Bone remodeling consists of two subprocesses: bone resorption (the removal of old tissue) and ossification (the formation of new bone tissue). An imbalance between these two subprocesses can lead to several diseases, including Paget’s disease. In Paget’s disease, there are irregularities in both sub-processes: old bone is broken down too quickly and the body tries to replace it too fast, which weakens the bone and can lead to deformities.

Paget’s disease was first described in 1877 by James Paget, an English surgeon and pathologist. He named it osteitis deformans (the suffex -itis indicating an inflammatory process). Since then, it has been discovered that the disease does not involve inflammation, so the preferred term is osteodystrophia deformans or Paget’s disease of bone.

The cause of the disease is unclear, but it has been linked to slow virus infections and genetic factors. Paget’s disease affects 1.5 to 8% of the population. It is most common in people over the age of 55, and men are more often affected than women. The disease can affect one or more bones, but it never affects the entire skeleton. It does not spread from one bone to another, but slowly worsens over time in the affected bones.

Early or mild cases of Paget’s disease are often asymptomatic. The most common early symptom is bone pain. If the disease affects the skull, patients may develop headaches, hearing loss in one or both ears, skull bossing (a bulging of the skull), macrocephaly (enlarged head), and, rarely, vision problems. Advanced Paget’s disease can lead to complications such as osteoarthritis, neurological problems, and dental problems. Rarely, the affected bone may develop cancer (osteosarcoma).

Paget’s disease is usually diagnosed with medical imaging (X-rays and bone scans) and blood tests. There is no cure, so the goal of treatment is to reduce pain and prevent the disease from progressing. Treatments can vary because the disease often affects people in different ways. Common treatments include medication, surgery for complications, a healthy diet, and physical therapy.

Paget’s Awareness Day was first observed on January 11, 2019; this date was chosen to commemorate James Paget’s birthday. Its main goal is to raise awareness of Paget’s disease, and to highlight the importance of research and access to early diagnosis and proper treatment. You can get involved by learning more about Paget’s disease, sharing information about it in any way you can, and donating to support the Paget’s Association or other organizations that help patients or fund research.