OTS - A fracture every 3 seconds worldwide. That's osteoporosis
2019. October 18. 08:05
Geneva, Switzerland, 18 October, 2019 (APA/OTS) - Marine fractured
her spine while bending to help her disabled mother. Lo Lan broke
her hip after tripping over a loose carpet in her home.
Both women have something in common. They were unaware that
they had osteoporosis, the disorder which causes bones to become
weak and as fragile as glass. People with osteoporosis can fracture
a bone even after the most minor fall from standing height, or from
simply sneezing, or bending to tie a shoelace.
Worldwide, one in three women and one in five men aged 50 or
over will sustain an osteoporosis-related fracture. Approximately
200 million people are affected, resulting in a fracture every 3
seconds.
On World Osteoporosis Day, October 20, the International
Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), together with its 250 member
organizations worldwide, urge all older adults to be aware of
osteoporosis risk factors and to consult their doctors if they are
at risk.
Although there are many factors which can point to possible
underlying osteoporosis, among the most common are: a broken bone
after age 50 following a low-trauma fall; height loss of more than
4 cm (ca 1.5 inches); long-term use of glucocorticoids and other
bone damaging medications; being frail and underweight; and
parental history of osteoporosis or hip fracture. A quick and easy
way to alert oneself to possible risk is with the new online IOF
Osteoporosis Risk Check.
A fracture in one's senior years can be life-changing. Acute
pain, lengthy rehabilitation, long-term disability, dependence on
caregivers, and loss of quality of life are all too common. Hip
fractures can be life-threatening and loss of function and
independence among survivors is profound, with 40% unable to walk
independently and 60% requiring assistance a year later. Because of
these losses, 33% are totally dependent or in a nursing home in the
year following a hip fracture.
IOF President Professor Cyrus Cooper, states:
"All adults must make their bone health a priority. Maintaining
strong bones and muscles is the key to an active, mobile future at
older age. If you're at risk, don't hesitate to ask your doctor for
testing and an appropriate treatment strategy if needed. Today,
there is a wide range of effective osteoporosis treatments which
have been shown to reduce the risk of hip fractures by up to 40%
and spine fractures by 30-70%."
IOF also calls on health authorities to prioritize bone health
and thereby reduce the costly human and economic burden of
fragility fractures in their countries.
Professor Cooper adds: "As experts in the field we join our
patient advocates in urging global action. A pervasive treatment
gap is leaving even the most high-risk patients unprotected against
fractures. An individual who has already had one fragility fracture
is highly vulnerable to further fractures, with a five times
greater risk of another fracture within the first year. Yet
approximately 80% of these patients are neither identified nor
treated for the underlying cause, osteoporosis."
A key strategy to addressing the treatment gap and the global
fragility fracture crisis is the implementation of Fracture Liaison
Services in all hospitals which see fracture patients. Such
coordinated, multi-disciplinary services improve patient care and
help reduce secondary fractures - ultimately decreasing enormous
fracture-related healthcare costs around the world.
Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com)
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About World Osteoporosis Day (WOD):
Marked annual on October 20, the campaign calls for global
action to fight osteoporosis and related fractures worldwide.
www.worldosteoporosisday.org
WOD Official Partners: Sunsweet, Takeda, Medtronic
About IOF:
The International Osteoporosis Foundation is the world's
largest non-governmental organization dedicated to bone health and
osteoporosis prevention. @iofbonehealth www.iofbonehealth.org
Media Contact: L.Misteli info@iofbonehealth.org
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