CDC: 1 in 4 Women = Osteoporosis. Men At Risk As Well
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC indicates that 23% of all Americans aged 50 and older suffer from osteoporosis, a leading cause of long-term health care. While most of these people are women, 4.2% are men.
The weakening bones of osteoporosis dramatically increase a person's odds of having dangerous fractures. As a person gets older, bone density problems cause several health issues, including the need for help with everyday living activities.
Bones Break Down with Age
Bone is living tissue. The problem is as we get older, our bodies start to break down old bone and replace it with new bone tissue. The National Institute on Aging says that at about age 30, our bone mass stops increasing. When we get into our 40s and 50s, more bone gets broken down than is replaced.
The experts weren't surprised and said more must be done to test for and treat the loss of bone density that comes with getting older. While age is the primary cause of bone density loss, some medications, like steroids, can accelerate the loss of bone density. Many asthma medications, for example, contain steroids.
Osteoporosis and its precursor condition -- osteopenia (low bone mass), affects more people than many people think.
It is not just a problem for the 80-year-old individual, but starts to become an issue for many adults in their 50s and 60s
Dr. Saad Chaudhary, a spine surgeon at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York City.
Women start losing bone mass earlier, but by age 65 or 70, men and women are losing bone at the same rate. One report showed more than 16 percent of all American seniors -- about 25 percent of women and nearly 6 percent of men -- have full-blown osteoporosis, as evidenced by bone density tests of the spine and hip.
Many more people have osteopenia, where their bone loss is already apparent but hasn't reached the stage of osteoporosis.
Of course, rates of osteoporosis rise with age.
Preventing Bone Loss
Dr. Chaudhary stressed that much of this bone loss could be prevented.
We reach our peak bone mineral density in adolescence and then must work conscientiously to maintain that through activity, a balanced diet, and consultation with health care providers
Dr. Saad Chaudhary
Neglect your bone health in youth, and the consequences to quality of life could be significant, Chaudhary added.
Osteoporosis is the more severe stage and can often result in one or more fractures of the spine and cause pain and disability
Bone mineral density screening is recommended for postmenopausal women, and men aged 50 and above based on their risk factor profiles, or for all women aged 70 and above and men aged 80 and above
Dr. Saad Chaudhary
DEXA Scan
A bone density test will be ordered to determine if someone has osteoporosis or osteopenia and assess their risk of a future bone fracture. The test, called a DEXA scan, measures a person's bone density. The test compares an individual's bone density to the bones of an average healthy young adult. The test result is called a T-score. This score is a standard deviation — a mathematical term that calculates how much a result varies from the average or mean.
If the T-score is –1 or greater: the bone density is considered normal. A score between –1 and –2.5: the person has low bone density, known as osteopenia. T-scores of –2.5 or less: osteoporosis will be the diagnosis, even if the person has no history of a bone fracture.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that your first bone scans for women at age 65 and men at age 70.
Diet is Important
A person's diet is believed to be essential for bone health, especially the amount of calcium and vitamin D a person is intaking. Calcium and vitamin D work together to help strengthen bones.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that women should get their first bone density test at age 65 and men at age 70. However, many women will have risk factors that make it a good idea to get a baseline scan in their 50s.
Cleveland Clinic lists several risk factors - Bone Density Test - Risk Factors.
Prepared for the Consequences of Aging?
The consequences on your family can be life changing as family caregivers face physical and emotional stress and anxiety. As we get older, we face many challenges, including declining health, mobility problems, and dementia. Are you prepared for these challenges?
Without a plan, we become dependent on others as we need help with daily living activities that we take for granted today. Professional long-term health care is expensive, and those costs are rising rapidly nationwide.
We can stop aging. The problem is real. The solution, for many, is affordable Long-Term Care Insurance. Since your health insurance and Medicare pays only a fraction of these expenses, you need a way to fund the quality care you deserve without draining assets or creating a burden on those you love.
Most people obtain coverage in their 50s - the time many women start scheduling their first bone density test. The insurance will not stop osteoporosis or aging; it will provide you with the guaranteed tax-free benefits to address long-term health care's impact on your family and finances.