10 Things You Never Knew About Osteoporosis

by Joanna

Yesterday at work, one of my coworkers mentioned that her mother had fractured a rib.  Concerned, I asked what happened.  The fracture, my coworker told me, was the result of simply rolling over on the floor while playing with her grandchild.

Noticing the confused look on my face, she continued to tell me that her mother has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, and fractures can be caused by something as simple as a sneeze. I knew of osteoporosis, but didn’t realize how damaging it really could be.  I wanted to share with you some interesting facts that I found about the disease.  Below are 10 things that you may have never known about osteoporosis:

  1. Women and men alike begin to lose bone in their mid-30s. As women approach menopause, they lose bone at a greater rate, from 2-5% per year.
  2. 1 in 3 women over age 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will 1 in 5 men. Osteoporosis is not a condition exclusive to the elderly – it can strike at any age.
  3. People who drink a lot of coffee and alcohol and who smoke cigarettes are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis than others.
  4. Women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass in the 5-7 years following menopause.
  5. Exercise will help to maintain your bone mass. Being inactive increases the rate of bone loss in both men and women.
  6. Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for 44 million Americans, 68% of whom are women.
  7. Osteoporosis is responsible for approximately 700,000 vertebral (spine) fractures annually.
  8. In women over 45 years of age, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in the hospital than many other diseases, including diabetes, myocardial infarction and breast cancer.
  9. Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms.
  10. Mild falls and even coughing, sneezing or bending over can all lead to fractures in someone with osteoporosis.

WebMD offers a great osteoporosis risk assessment, as well as an additional wealth of information about the condition.


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