Fast facts and statistics about osteoporosis that you should know!
As you probably know, osteoporosis, also known as porous bone, is a very common condition and affects more than 75 million people worldwide each year. This bone disease with its silent and unnoticeable symptoms is a serious condition that leads to bone breaks. For this reason, osteoporosis is usually called a “silent disease”. You can’t feel your bones getting weaker. With the National Osteoporosis Month coming in May, our spine surgeon in Boynton Beach wants you to know more about this common condition.
Here are osteoporosis facts and statistics:
1. According to The National Osteoporosis Foundation, around 10 million people in the U.S. have osteoporosis and another 44 million have low bone mass
2. By 2020, it’s expected that osteoporosis will affect 14 million people and over 47 million Americans will have low bone density.
3. Every 3 seconds someone in the world experiences an osteoporotic fracture, and every 22 seconds a vertebral fracture.
4. Fracture incidence is usually higher for white people and lower for other ethnic groups.
5. 1 in 3 women over 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will 1 in 5 men.
6. In Europe, the disability due to osteoporosis is greater than that caused by cancer (lung cancer is the exception).
7. People suffering from osteoporosis can break a bone from a minor fall, or even from simple actions like sneezing or bumping into furniture.
8. Physical activity can help reduce hip fractures in women and men. And strengthening back muscles can reduce the risk of vertebral fractures and kyphosis.
9. Women over 45 suffering from osteoporosis spend more days in hospital than women experiencing many other diseases, including diabetes, breast cancer and myocardial infarction.
10. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation has a benefficial effect on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women and reduces rates of bone loss and fracture rates in older male and female adults, and the elderly.
11. Lactose intolerance is associated with low bone density and increased risk of fracture as a result of low milk (calcium) intake.
12. This “silent disease” is responsible for around 2 million broken bones per year, yet nearly 80 percent of older Americans who suffer bone breaks are not tested or treated for osteoporosis.
(Source: https://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-and-statistics/calcium-studies-map ).
For more information about osteoporosis, check out our site about Osteoporosis, causes and treatment options.
Learn more about Spine Surgeon Boynton Beach – Matthew Hepler, M.D.
Dr. Matthew Hepler is an experienced spine surgeon in Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale, who offers expert, personalized medical care and state-of-the-art surgical procedures to treat a wide range of spinal conditions. Dr. Hepler is a Board Certified (ABOS) and fellowship trained orthopaedic spine specialist with more than 17 years of experience. He focuses on complex deformity and treats the full spectrum of spine conditions such as back pain, disc herniation, stenosis, sciatica, scoliosis, kyphosis, spine fracture, failed back surgery. Dr. Matthew Hepler provides leading expertise with compassionate, individualized care throughout south Florida (Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale). If you would like more information, please contact us.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
