Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones where bone quality and density are reduced over time. The fragility of these bones increases the risk of fracture at the hip, spine, and wrist. A spine fracture can result in deformity through a hump, loss of height, and back pain. One well-known facts about osteoporosis is that it’s a disease that mostly occurs with age.
Every three seconds, someone suffers from an osteoporotic fracture. It is estimated that 200 million women worldwide have been affected by bone disease and you may be one of them. Here are 20 facts about Osteoporosis that will keep you in the know:
20 Facts About Osteoporosis
1. You reach your bone mass peak at your early and mid-twenties after then your bone mass starts to reduces at the age of 40. Women’s bone density tends to decrease after menopause (Jyothi Unni, 2010).
2. Although the disease has been categorized by old age, anyone can develop Osteoporosis at any given age and time.
3. Those who smoke cigarettes and drink a lot of coffee are at a higher risk than others (NIH, 2018).
4. Facts about osteoporosis: Men tend to have a higher bone density in their middle age compared to women and they tend to develop bone disease later in life than women (NIH, 2018).
5. It is estimated that 1 in three women and one in five men will suffer from an Osteoporosis fracture in their lifetime (Banu, 2013).
6. Many people affected by Osteoporosis will not know they suffer from the disease until they break a bone. The condition is considered to be a “silent thief” because victims cannot feel their bones getting any weaker.
7. After menopause, a woman can lose up to 20% of her bone mass (NHS, 2017).
8. Being active for both men and women increases the rate of bone mass. Exercises can accomplish this. The Ostego program is specifically designed to prevent Osteoporosis.
9. Eating a diet rich in Calcium and Vitamin D will ensure you reach peak bone mineral density. This will also prevent the chances of getting Osteoporosis (Sunyecz, 2008).
10. To get strong bones, you need to exercise at least two and a half (2.5) hours every week (Reed, 2014) – that’s one of the facts about Osteoporosis that’s easy to address using the OSTEGO program of healthy nutrition and exercise.
11. Osteoporosis is a personal and an economic burden due to the disabilities that it can cause and associated hardships for caregivers.
12. Vertebral or spine fractures in men and women over 50 years occur every 22 seconds worldwide (IOF, n.d.).
13. Simple actions such as sneezing, hugging, or bumping into furniture can break bones easily for Osteoporosis patients.
14. The sure way to know if you have Osteoporosis is to have a bone mass measurement or what is referred to as Bone Mineral Density test (BMD).
15. Caucasians and Asians women are believed to have a higher risk of developing Osteoporosis. This is because their bone density than is 5% to 10% lower than that of women from African American or Latin descent (NOF, n.d.).
16. 37% of men die in the first year after an Osteoporosis fracture. This is twice the mortality rate for women making men more likely to die from an Osteoporosis fracture than women (Bliuc D, 2013).
17. Losing height is considered as one of the signs of bone disease. Losing more than half an inch of height in a year is a serious risk indicator.
18. Excessive drinking during adolescence and young adulthood for men and women increases the risk of getting Osteoporosis and decreases bone growth (11).
19. Osteoporotic bones are only painful after a fracture, not prior to fracture.
20. Osteoporosis cannot be cured but can be treated by taking medication that slows down bone loss and prevents fractures and by doing weight bearing exercise to promote bone growth.
References
Banu, J. (2013). Causes, consequences, and treatment of osteoporosis in men. NCBI, 849-860.
Bliuc D, N. N. (2013). Compound risk of high mortality following osteoporotic fracture and refracture in elderly women and men. NCBI. Retrieved from NCBI.
IOF. (n.d.). Women Over 50 Will Experience Osteoporotic Fractures As Will Men.
Jyothi Unni, R. G. (2010). Bone mineral density in women above 40 years. Journal of Mid-life Health- NCBI, 19-22.
NHS. (2017, June 30). Menopause and your bone health.
NOF. (n.d.). What Women Need to Know. Retrieved from National Ostoporosis Foundation
Sunyecz, J. A. (2008). The use of calcium and vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis. NCBI, 827-836.
