Osteoporosis

Let’s Work Together to Get

Bone Healthy!

The Osteoporosis Problem:

Source: National Osteoporosis Foundation Web site; retrieved October 2006 at http://www.nof.org

• Major health threat for an estimated 44 million people 50 years and older including– Hip– Vertebral (spine)– Wrist and other

• 10 million estimated with osteoporosis• 34 million estimated with low bone mass

(osteopenia)• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over 50 will have

an osteoporosis-related fracture

OSTEOPOROSIS RESULTS IN:

• Hip Fractures most devastating– One in five elderly people die within a year

of the fracture– One in four become disabled – One in five must move to a nursing home

within a year– Many become isolated and depressed

Source: The 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis; retrieved October 2006 at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth

• Men– 80,000 hip fractures/

year

• Women of all ethnic backgrounds– One in twenty African-

American women – One in ten Mexican-

American women

• People of all ages– Increasing number of

women in 20s-30s

Source: The 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis; retrieved October 2006 at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth

Osteoporosis Affects Women & Men of All

Ethnicities

What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis?

Bone withOsteoporosis

NormalBone

Osteoporosis causes weak bones. Bones lose minerals like calcium. They become fragile and break easily.

Source: The 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis; retrieved October 2006 at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth

Why is Bone Health Important?

Source: The 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis;retrieved October 2006 at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth

Bones are living active tissue• Calcium is needed for our

bones daily.

• Bones build to about age 30.

• We need to build up ourbones while young

Risk Factors

• Being Female • Advanced age • Thin, small-boned • Caucasian or Asian ethnicity• Family history of osteoporosis• Inactive lifestyle or extended bed rest

Risk Factors

• Abnormal menstrual history• Late menarche• Menstrual interruptions/irregularities• Early menopause (< age 45)

• Estrogen deficiency: menopause

• History of eating disorder/strict dieting

• Low testosterone levels (men)

• Low lifetime calcium intake

Risk Factors

• Certain medical conditions– Bone fracture after age 40– Rheumatoid arthritis– Thyroid disorder– Parathyroid disorder– Poorly controlled Type 1 diabetes– Lactose intolerance– Digestion disorders

Risk factors

• Medication use– Long-term corticosteroid use– High doses thyroid hormone– Anti-seizure or epilepsy medications– Certain diuretics– Excessive aluminum-containing antacids– Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist

5 Steps to Better Bone Health

National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends…

5 simple steps to prevent osteoporosis.

Step 1 Balanced diet with daily recommended amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D.

Calcium

AgeCalcium

needed/day (mg)

0 to 6 months 210

7 to 12 months 270

1 to 3 years 500

4 to 8 years 800

9 to 18 years 1,300

19 to 50 years 1,000

Over 50 years 1,200Source: The 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis;retrieved October 2006 at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bonehealth

Vitamin D

Main dietary sources of vitamin D are:• Fortified milk • Some fortified cereals• Cold saltwater fish

(salmon, halibut, tuna, oysters & shrimp)• Some calcium and vitamin/mineral

supplements

Vitamin D is created when you skin is exposed to sunlight

Step 2. Regular Exercise

Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol

Step 3

Step 4: Talk to your

healthcare provider about bone health

Step 5:

Bone density testing and medication when appropriate.

Testing is simple and painless

Get a Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Test . . .

• All women age 65 and older

• Younger postmenopausal women with one or more risk factors

• Postmenopausal women with fractures to confirm the diagnosis of osteoporosis & disease severity

Prevent before this…

Prevention and TreatmentYou are never too old or too young

to improve your bone health

• Adults– At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a

day– Strength and balance training– Protect from falls– Eye exam to check for visual impairments– Bone density test with a fracture after age 50, and

for everyone with risk factors– Bone density test for all women over age 65– Extra calcium and vitamin D over age 50– Medication, if indicated, to prevent

bone loss or build new bone

Prevention and TreatmentYou are never too old or too young

to improve your bone health

• Children & Teens– Teens are at greater risk for poor bone

health because of rapidly growing bones and poor diet

– At least one hour of physical activity a day

– Increase calcium during teens

• Babies– Bone health begins before birth

Prevention is the KEY…

It is important to• Build healthy bones

while you are young• Continue a healthy

diet and lifestyle throughout your lifetime

Sources of Information

• Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bone health/content.html

• National Osteoporosis Foundation

http://www.nof.org

Websites For More Osteoporosis Information:

• http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/bone health/content.html

• http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/ach/osteo

• http://www.osteofound.org/

• http://www.niams.nih.gov/bone/

• http://www.strongwomen.com/

Presentation created by:

The Kentucky Department for Public Health

Arthritis & Osteoporosis Program