Osteoporosis Fact Sheet

This May is osteoporosis awareness month and Nomad Fit Lab is bringing attention to what’s been called, “the silent disease.” Osteoporosis occurs when bone mineral density and mass decrease. You won’t feel or notice anything that signals you might have osteoporosis, however.

Anyone can get osteoporosis, but it is about four times more common in women than men. We’ve compiled 10 additional facts about osteoporosis to help bring awareness and to encourage screening for the disease:

Osteoporosis Fact Sheet

1. In the United States, an estimated 10 million people age 50 years and older have osteoporosis. Most of these people are women, but about 2 million are men.
2. One in two women and up to one in four men will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis. For women, the incidence is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.
3. As we age, it is common for our bones to naturally lose some of their density. But with osteoporosis, the bones become so weak and brittle that a fall or even mild stresses can cause a break.
4. Age, family history, certain medical conditions, and lifestyle choices like smoking and lack of physical activity can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
5. Osteoporosis is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones per year, yet nearly 80 percent of older Americans who suffer bone breaks are not tested or treated for osteoporosis.
6. A man is more likely to break a bone due to osteoporosis than he is to get prostate cancer.
7. Bone loss typically speeds up in women after menopause and in men after age 65.
8. Osteoporosis-related bone breaks cost patients, their families and the healthcare system $19 billion annually.
9. Lifestyle changes can help reduce key risk factors.
10. A bone mineral density (BMD) test is the best way to diagnose osteoporosis and determine a treatment plan. DEXA scans are considered the Gold Standard for measuring BMD.

Most people are unaware that they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. With that said, Nomad Fit Lab recommends regular regular bone density scans to determine your risk for the disease.