Osteoporosis is a broadly spread disease, which affect both women and men. The medical and research systems are trying to gather as much information as possible to learn more about osteoporosis and how to obtain better treatments.
Osteoporosis facts and statistics:
- Annually, osteoporosis causes 8.9 million fractures. This means a bone is being broken every 3 seconds because of it.
- Osteoporosis affects 200 million women, all over the world, between 60 and 90 years old.
- 80% of forearm fractures, 75% of humerus fractures, 70% of hip fractures and 58% of spine fractures happen to women patients.
- 10% loss of bone mass in the area of the vertebrae can double the risk of fractures.
- 10% loss of bone mass in the hip area will increase the risk of fractures by 2.5 times.
- 80% of people who suffer from one osteoporotic fractures, which are in a high-risk zone, are never identified or treated.
- Among women with the age of 45, and over, osteoporosis is a primary cause of hospitalization, more than cancer or diabetes.
10 Risk factors that may lead to bone fractures:
To see how much a person is exposed to osteoporosis and what are the chances to develop the disease, there is a need to investigate a set of risk factors:
1. Studies show that the osteoporosis are closely related to our genetic package. So, if our parents or grandparents were sensitive to fractures, we also have the chance to develop osteoporosis.
2. A low body weight is not a very positive aspect since it is related to bone mass loss in large quantities.
3. Not having enough physical exercises and living a sedentary life will have an influence on the muscular strength. Thus,fractures are more likely to occur.
4. Smoking habits are known to affect the calcium intake of the bones, thus also affecting the bone density and resistance.
5. Increased alcohol consumption will increase in a great deal the fracture risks. for example, 4 units of alcohol per day can double the risk or fracturing hip bones.
6. Corticosteroids treatments have a significant impact of bone fractures. About 30 to 50 percent of patients using corticosteroids as a long term treatment will experience fractures.
7. The body’s weight in childhood can have a serious impact on the bone density in adulthood.
8. Men and women of middle age that file a height loss of 0.5 per year will have an increased risk of bone fractures.
9. The primary cause of fractures is the fall, from which 90% are hip fractures.
10. Shallow falls, with moderate trauma, will generate an increase the risks for following fractures, for both men and women.
So the statistics are not too bright, but this will be the case of any other disease. Osteoporosis is an illness with a very high incidence that will not decrease very soon, due to our increasingly sedentary lives.
To avoid it and to have a life of a better quality we need to stay active and have a healthy diet, with lots of nutrients and minerals such calcium and vitamin D.