- 25 million Americans are affected, 80% of whom are women. Of these, 7-8 million have osteoporosis and 17 million have low bone mass and increased risk.
- 1 of every 2 women and 1-in-8 men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime.
- By age 75, 1/3 of all men will be affected.
Osteoporosis is not just an older's person's disease; it strikes at any age.
In Missouri alone, it is estimated that 168,000 women and 43,500 men have osteoporosis and 320,400 women and 62,300 men have low bone mass.
How does it affect me ?
Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures annually, including 300,000 hip fractures, 700,000 vertebral fractures, 200,000 wrist fractures and more than 300,000 fractures at other sites.
Loss of dentition (teeth) is also related to bone loss in the lower jaw, or mandible.
40% of all women will have at least one spinal fracture by age 80.
A woman's risk of hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine & ovarian cancer.
Hip fractures are very serious, especially in older people. Among those living independently prior to a hip fracture, 15 to 25% of them will remain in long-term care institutions a year after the injury. Men and women who fracture their hip have 5% to 20% greater risk of dying within the first year following the fracture than others in their age group.
What are the symptoms of osteoporosis ?
Osteoporosis is a so-called silent disease, because bone loss occurs without symptoms. The first external sign of osteoporosis may be a fall or a fracture. The bones become so weakened that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a bone to fracture or a vertebra to collapse.
Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height or spinal deformities, such as stooped posture, or a dowager's hump.
What are the risk factors for osteoporosis ?
There are two kinds of risks - those that you cannot change and those that you can.
They are:
Unchangeable
- Being female
- Being thin and/or having a small frame
- Of advanced age
- Having a family history of osteoporosis
- Having an early menopause
- Being Caucasian or Asian
- Having rheumatoid arthritis
Changeable
- Having a low dietary intake of calcium
- Developing anorexia nervosa or bulimia
- Having an inactive lifestyle or lack of exercise
- Exercising excessively
- Smoking cigarettes
- Drinking alcohol excessively
- Taking corticosteroid (prednisone) or certain anti-seizure medicine (Dilantin, barbiturates)
How do I estimate my risk of fractures?
A bone density test is the best procedure to estimate fracture risk. Your physician will interpret the bone density test result in the backdrop of all the risk factors for osteoporosis and laboratory tests, when necessary, to give you customized recommendations for lifestyle and dietary adjustments and drug therapy, if appropriate.
The World Health Organization has developed an on-line tool, the FRAX calculator to aid in estimating the risk of osteoporotic fractures based on bone density and the risk factors listed above. The FRAX calculator is useful, but has some limitations that patients should be aware of, including the fact that DXA measurement at the proximal femur (hip) is required, and that it cannot be used to monitor the efficacy of drug treatment for osteoporosis. While this tool is freely available online, we strongly encourage you to consult with your specialist physician or health care provider to devise the most appropriate approach to improve and maintain your bone health.
For more information on osteoporosis, click
For more information on Paget's disease, click
For more information about the Bone Health Program at Washington University School of Medicine, call (314) 454-7775 or fax (314) 996-3087