Osteoporosis is the most common underlying
cause of fractures in the elderly, but it is not
frequently diagnosed or treated, even among
individuals who have already suffered a fracture.
An estimated 10 million Americans now have
osteoporosis, while another 34 million have low
bone mass and are at risk for developing
osteoporosis; 80 percent of them are women. By
2020, an estimated 1 in 2 Americans over
age 50 will be at risk for osteoporosis and low
bone mass. Each year more than 1.5 million
people suffer a bone fracture related to osteoporosis,
with the most common breaks in the wrist,
spine and hip. Fractures can have devastating
consequences. For example, hip fractures are
associated with an increased risk of mortality, and
nearly 1 in 5 hip fracture patients ends up in
a nursing home within a year. Direct care for
osteoporotic fractures costs $18 billion yearly.1
In 2003-04, women aged 18 years and older
were more likely than men to report having been told by
a health professional that they have osteoporosis (10.0
versus 1.7 percent, respectively.) In addition, 72.4 percent
of women with osteoporosis received treatment, compared
to 52.1 percent of men. The rate of osteoporosis among women
varied significantly with age. While only 5.3 percent aged
18–64 years had osteoporosis in 2003-04, 33.8 percent of
women aged 75–84 years and 32.9 percent of those aged 85
years and older reported having osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis may be prevented and treated by
getting the recommended amounts of calcium,
vitamin D, and regular weight-bearing physical
activity (i.e. walking), and by taking prescription
medication when appropriate. Bone density tests
are recommended for women over 65 years and
for any man or woman who suffers a fracture after
age 50. Treatment of osteoporosis has been
shown to reduce the risk of subsequent fractures
by 30–65 percent.1 Despite these findings,
national data in 2005 indicate that only
20.1 percent of female Medicare beneficiaries
aged 67 years and older who had a fracture
received either a bone mineral density test or a
prescription to treat osteoporosis.
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Vertical Bar Chart: Women Aged 18 and Older with Osteoporosis, by Age, 2003-04
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PIE CHART: HEDIS Measure of Osteoporosis Management in
Women Aged 67 and Older Who Had a Fracture, 2005
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