Health Conditions

Who has it?

The latest estimates from the National Osteoporosis Foundation state that about 8 million American women and 2 million American men had osteoporosis in 2002. As many as 34 million more Americans may have osteopenia (lower than average bone density as compared to others of the same age and gender). Only one-third of all people with osteoporosis have been diagnosed with it and only one-seventh of those diagnosed receive treatment according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. As the number of older individuals increases, the number of Americans who have osteoporosis or who have increased risk for getting osteoporosis could reach 60 million by the year 2020. Osteoporosis and osteopenia currently contribute to about 1.5 million broken bones per year, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In 2003, the National Osteoporosis Foundation reported that more than $17 billion are spent annually on broken bones related to osteoporosis. Of that total, forty percent is spent on hip fractures alone.

In humans, the amount of bone in the body is highest between the ages of about 25 and 40. During pregnancy, the developing baby gets calcium from the mother?s bones, but the mother usually regains bone density after she finishes breast-feeding. Both men and women begin to lose bone density permanently in their forties and fifties. By the age of 80, nearly 90% of women and 50% of men have osteoporosis. Because women experience more rapid bone loss in the years following menopause, they usually have an earlier risk of fractures. Approximately one-half of women over 50 years of age will experience a fracture related to osteoporosis as compared to about one-eighth of men over the age of 50 years. For a woman, the risk of a hip fracture is equal to the risk of breast, uterine, and cervical cancer combined.