Stand Strong Against Osteoporosis

OSTEOPOROSIS FACT SHEET

Imagine avoiding the stairs in your own home for fear one wrong step might shatter your bones like glass. For the 10 million Americans who suffer from osteoporosis, a disease characterized by weak and brittle bones, this is an unfortunate reality. Following are more facts about this devastating disease:

Incidence and Impact

• More than 8 million women and 2 million men suffer from osteoporosis, and 18 million more people are at risk.
• More than 80 percent of osteoporosis sufferers are women; osteoporosis affects half of all women over the age of 50 and almost 90 percent of those over the age of 75.
• Five to 20% of people who fracture their hips die of complications
• Osteoporosis results in 1.5 million fractures annually.
• Osteoporotic fractures result in at least $15 billion in health care costs annually.

Risk Factors

• Menopause is the single greatest risk for osteoporosis; others include gender, age, family history, hormone deficiencies, low calcium, excessive alcohol and cigarette smoking.
• Women should be evaluated for osteoporosis if they fracture easily, are 65 or older, or are menopausal with other risk factors.

Signs and Symptoms

• Common signs of osteoporosis include back pain, stooped posture (dowager's hump), reduced height and fractures that result from everyday activity.

Diagnosis

• The most effective way to diagnose osteoporosis and determine fracture risk is through a Bone Mineral Density (or BMD) test

Prevention

• Osteoporosis prevention should include a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. Experts also recommend weight-bearing exercise (such as walking) and avoidance of smoking. Post-menopausal women may benefit from hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Treatment

• There are several forms of treatment that can slow or reverse bone loss including: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMS), bisphosphonates, and calcitonin; calcium and vitamin D supplements also may provide marginal benefit. A new category of drug, called anabolic agents, can actually add bone and have the potential to increase bone mass.