Osteoporosis Risks Under Recognized
Reported April 09, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Researchers call it a global health concern that thousands of post-menopausal women simply dont know about — fracture risk caused by brittle bones.
Columbia University medical teams studied more 60,000 women across the United States and found many women at elevated level of risk for osteoporosis-associated fractures fail to understand the implications of their risk.
Bottom line: women diagnosed with the condition — which causes bones to become fragile and more likely to break — dont know how bad life can be if they dont take care of themselves properly.
Without a clear understanding of their risks, women cannot begin to protect themselves from fracture,” lead study author Ethel Siris, of Columbia University Medical Center, was quoted as saying.
Results show that among postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis, only 43 percent thought their risk of fracture was higher than other women their age. In addition, one in three women reporting two or more major risk factors for fracture thought themselves at higher risk for breaking a bone.
Studies show one in two women will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture by age 50, often leading to chronic pain.
Experts say its important that elevated risk be recognized since many fractures can be prevented through appropriate treatment.
Source: Osteoporosis International, April 2, 2010