Osteoporosis: "The Silent Thief"

The facts of osteoporosis are startling:

• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture
• 24% of hip fracture patients over the age of 50 DIE IN THE FIRST YEAR after fracture
• 20% of hip fracture patients require long term care for the remainder of their lives
• Only 15% can walk across a room unaided six months after a hip fracture

Experts call osteoporosis "the silent thief" because it robs a person's bone with no outward signs. Commonly, the first symptom is a fracture sustained from little or no trauma. For this reason, screening is critical to detecting and treating osteoporosis before a fracture occurs.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) recommends screening all women 65 and older, men 70 and older, or any adult over the age of 50 with a fracture. Screening includes a few blood tests and a bone density scan that typically takes 10-15 minutes. You can read more about the screening process by clicking this link: NOF-Diagnosing Osteoporosis.