Women and Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, a degeneration of bones that cause them to break easily, is another condition prevalent in the female populations. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation:

Of the 10 million Americans estimated to have osteoporosis, eight million are women and two million are men.
One in two women over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her remaining lifetime.
Significant risk has been reported in people of all ethnic backgrounds.
Often thought of as an older person's disease, osteoporosis can strike at any age.
Five percent of non-Hispanic black women over age 50 are estimated to have osteoporosis; an estimated additional 35 percent have low bone mass that puts them at risk of developing osteoporosis.
Ten percent of Hispanic women aged 50 and older are estimated to have osteoporosis, and 49 percent are estimated to have low bone mass.
Twenty percent of non-Hispanic white and Asian women aged 50 and older are estimated to have osteoporosis, and 52 percent are estimated to have low bone mass.

Osteoporosis is a disease that progresses painlessly. The only sure way to determine bone density and fracture risk for osteoporosis is to have a bone mass measurement (also called bone mineral density or BMD test). Your doctor can help determine if you should have a BMD test performed.

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