A woman's lifetime risk of a hip fracture is ONE in six, greater than their ONE in eight lifetime risk of breast cancer. Men get osteoporosis too. ONE in five men will suffer an osteoporosis fracture in their lifetime.
Most people never know they have osteoporosis until they have suffered a fracture. Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder consisting of compromised bone strength that places the bone at an increased risk for fracture. After the age of 50, the amount of bone a person has and the quality of that bone is compromised by multiple risk factors that many people can not control despite even the healthiest of lifestyles.
After a hip fracture:
50% of people never reach previous functional capacity
24% percent of people end up in a nursing home
25% of people die within a year
Genetics, common medications to treat gastroesophageal reflux, asthma, inflammatory conditions, a history of low body weight, low thyroid levels, just to name a few, are common conditions predisposing people to a risk for compromised bone strength.
Common Risk Factors
Estrogen Deficiency: one of the main causes for bone loss in women. Some women lose as much as 20% of their bone density within 5 years of menopause.
Age: Bones become weaker with age.
Lifestyle Factors: lack of physical activity, regular use of alcohol, a history of cigarette smoking, poor calcium intake, vitamin D deficiency, and certain medications that affect your absorption of these nutrients.
Body Weight: people with lower muscle mass have a greater risk
Family History: a family history of osteoporosis is a risk factor for the development of the disease.
Medications: regular use of proton pump inhibitors for gastroesophageal reflux can affect your absorption of calcium and Vitamin D. Oral steroids have a significant affect on reducing bone density
Chronic Kidney Disease: this disease can affect the calcium levels in your blood and ultimately affect your bone quality.
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