Your Bone Health is at Risk• By 2020, half of all Americans over age 50

may have weak bones • People with weak bones are at higher risk for

fractures• Strong bones are needed for an active life• Poor bone health is common and costly

You Can Improve Bone Health

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Osteoporosis Low Bone Mass

Female

Male

Both Sexes Combined

Projected Prevalence of Osteoporosis and/or

Low Bone Mass of the Hip

Osteoporosis Affects Women & Men of All Ethnicities

Why Are Healthy Bones Important?

• Strong bones support us and allow us to move

• Bones are a storehouse for vital minerals• Strong bones protect our heart, lungs, brain

and other organs

What is Low Bone Mass?

• Bones lose the minerals, like calcium, that strengthen them

• Loss of these minerals causes bones to become weak and break more easily

OsteoporosisThe Most Common Bone Disease

• Characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone structure

• Not a natural part of aging• Increased risk for women, post-menopausal,

over age 65• All races, sexes, and ages are susceptible• Preventable and treatable!

OsteoporosisWhen Bones Break

• 1.5 million Americans suffer fractures due to weak bones

• Half of all women over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture

• Medical expenses from osteoporosis-related bone fractures costs $18 billion annually

OsteoporosisWhen Bones Break

• The most common breaks in weak bones are in the:– Wrist– Spine– Hip

• If you break a bone after the age of 50, talk to your health care professional about measuring your bone density

OsteoporosisWhen Bones Break

• Hip fractures are the 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

Prevention and TreatmentFor All…

Live a Healthy Lifestyle• Eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D

– Follow recommended daily amounts

• Be physically active every day– Include activities to improve strength and balance

• Maintain a healthy body weight • Don’t smoke• Limit alcohol intake

Prevention and TreatmentFor All…

• Discuss significant risks with a health care professional– Medications– Family history– Recent falls or broken bones

OsteoporosisFalls Break Bones

• You can prevent most falls– Improve your balance, coordination, and strength

through weight-bearing physical activity such as dancing or Tai Chi

– Review medicines with a health care professional (some medicines may cause drowsiness or dizziness)

– Have your vision checked– Make your home safer

Protect Your BonesWays to Make Your Home Safer

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Have handrails and plenty of light in all stairways.

Wear shoes that give good support and have non-slip soles.

Don’t use stepstools. Keep items you need within easy reach.

Maintain a clear path to the bathroom.

Make sure your walkways are wide enough.

Remove all small rugs. They can make you trip.

Move phone and electrical cords away from walkways and open areas.

Make sure that all areas are well lit. Use bright light bulbs.

Be aware that some medications, including over-the-counter medicines, can make you dizzy or sleepy.

Get your vision checked.

Remove things that you may trip over from stairs and places where you walk.

Protect Your Bones Ways to Make Your Home Safer

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5 Remove all small rugs. They can make you trip.

Use non-slip mats in the bathtub or shower. Have grab bars put in next to your toilet and in the bathtub or shower.

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

• 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 and TreatmentYou are never too old or too young

to improve your bone health

Are You at Risk for Weak Bones?Check Any of These that Apply to You

I’m older than 65 I’ve broken a bone after age 50 My close relative has osteoporosis or has broken a bone My health is “fair” or “poor” I smoke I am underweight for my height

Are You at Risk for Weak Bones?Check Any of These that Apply to You

I started menopause before age 45 I’ve never gotten enough calcium I have more than two drinks of alcohol several times a week I have poor vision, even with glasses I sometimes fall I’m not physically active

Are You at Risk for Weak Bones?Check Any of These that Apply to You

I have one of the these medical conditions:Hyperthyroidism

Chronic lung disease

Cancer

Inflammatory bowel disease

Chronic hepatic or renal disease

Vitamin D deficiency

Cushing’s disease

Multiple sclerosis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Are You at Risk for Weak Bones?Check Any of These that Apply to You

I take one of these medications:Oral glucocorticoids (steroids)

Cancer treatments (radiation, chemotherapy)

Thyroid medicine

Antiepileptic medications

Gonadal hormone suppression

Immunosuppressive agents

Other Harmful Conditions

• Rickets and osteomalacia• Kidney disease• Paget’s disease of bone• Genetic abnormalities• Endocrine disorders

Everyone has a Role to Play in Improving Bone Health

This report is a starting point for national action

The Surgeon General’s Call for National Action

Encourages individuals and communities to join together to promote bone health by:

• Increasing awareness• Promoting lifestyle changes

• Defining and implementing prevention and treatment options for people of all ages

How Can You Help?Educate Others

• Tell your family and friends about the importance of bone health

• Know your own risks

• Improve your bone health habits and those of your family

How Can You Help?Educate Community Groups

• Send an article to organizations’ newsletters

• Send an email to a listserv

• Discuss bone health at a meeting

• Encourage other groups to collaborate

• Offer to speak at meetings

• Form a “Healthy Bones” coalition and develop a plan to educate community members about bone health

How Can You Help?Educate Health Care Professionals and

Health Insurers• Host a speaking tour

• Send a bone health letter to health care facilities, professionals, and insurers

• Disseminate fact sheets and the bone health checklist

• Encourage bone health screening and treatment in facilities, including extended care facilities

• Host a seminar

How Can You Help?Engage the Media

• Hold a news conference and “pitch” it to the local media

• Write an op-ed• Submit a letter to the editor

How Can You Help?Target Parents and Schools

• Plan a health fair• Work with school parent-faculty associations• Provide information to school leaders • Encourage school nurses to be involved

How Can You Help?Work with Businesses

• Focus on customers and employees

• Provide information to include in bills or shopping bags, or for printing in store circulars

• Encourage community and coalition involvement

• Encourage participation in or host a health fair with bone health screening, bone density tests, and prevention and treatment tips

For More Information

Call toll free 1-866-718-BONE (2663) or visit www.surgeongeneral.gov to order:– “The 2004 Surgeon General’s Report on Bone

Health and Osteoporosis: What It Means to You”– “Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Surgeon

General’s Report” – Full Report and Executive Summary

– Posters

For More Information

National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center (NIHORBD~NRC)Phone: 202-223-0344www.osteo.org

Let’s Work Together to Get America Bone Healthy!