300,000 hip fractures
Part 1: Understanding Osteoporosis
Hopefully the simple quiz you just took helped to underscore the severity of this insidious condition that drains away bone--the hardest, most durable substance in the body.
It happens slowly, over years, so that often neither physician or patient is aware of weakening bones until one snaps unexpectedly. It's why osteoporosis is called the "silent disease." And it steals more than bone. It's the primary cause of hip fracture, which can lead to permanent disability, loss of independence, and sometimes even death.
Collapsing spinal vertebrae can produce stooped posture and a "dowager's hump." Lives collapse too. The chronic pain and anxiety that accompany a frail frame make people curtail meaningful activities, because the simplest activities can cause broken bones. "Don't touch Grandma, she might break" is the sad joke in many families.
Osteoporosis leads to 1.5 million fractures, or breaks, per year, mostly in the hip, spine and wrist, and costs $10 billion annually, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. It threatens 25 million Americans, mostly older women, but older men get it too. One in three women past 50 will suffer a vertebral fracture, according to the foundation. The National Institutes of Health states that osteoporosis is annually responsible for:
These numbers are predicted to rise as the population ages. It is predicted that by the year 2020 the cost of diagnosing and treating the disease will top $62 billion.
Osteoporosis, which means "porous bones," is a condition of excessive skeletal fragility resulting in bones that break easily. A combination of genetic, dietary, hormonal, age-related, and lifestyle factors all contribute to this condition. In osteoporosis, the density and quality of bone are reduced, leading to the subsequent weakening of the skeleton with an increased risk of fracture.
Changing attitudes and improving technology are brightening the outlook for people with osteoporosis, however. Nowadays, many women live 30 years or more--perhaps a quarter to a third of their lives--after menopause. Improving the quality of those years has become an important health-care goal. Although some bone loss is expected as people age, osteoporosis is no longer viewed as an inevitable consequence of aging. Diagnosis and treatment need no longer wait until bones break.
There is no cure for osteoporosis, and it can't be prevented outright, but the onset can be delayed, and the severity diminished. Most important, early intervention can prevent devastating fractures. The FDA has revised labeling on foods and supplements to provide valuable information about the level of nutrients that help build and maintain strong bones. They have also approved a wide variety of products to help diagnose and treat osteoporosis, including several in just the last few years.
Acknowledgement
is made to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publication, FDA Consumer,
for providing reference material used in the preparation of the following material.