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Osteoporosis
What are the causes of Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis may be attributed to three factors: (1) accelerated bone loss at menopause in women or as men and women age; (2) suboptimal bone growth during childhood and adolescence resulting in failure to reach peak bone mass; and (3) bone loss secondary to disease conditions, eating disorders, or certain medications and medical treatments.
Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including 300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral (spinal) fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures at other sites. In the presence of osteoporosis, fractures can occur from normal lifting and bending, as well as from falls. Furthermore, osteoporotic fractures, particularly vertebral fractures, can be associated with disabling pain.
Of all the fractures, hip fractures have the greatest morbidity and socioeconomic impact. One in five patients is no longer alive 1 year following an osteoporotic hip fracture. This means people can and do die as a result of hip fractures. Fifty percent of those people experiencing a hip fracture will be unable to walk without assistance, and 28 percent will require long-term care. The burden of health care costs due to osteoporotic fractures is estimated to be $10 to $15 billion per year.
Research has enhanced our knowledge about how to maintain a healthy skeleton throughout life. This has led to progress in understanding the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis. Every research advance brings us closer to eliminating the pain and suffering caused by this disease.
