Osteoporosis is a
condition that is defined by a loss of bone substance that renders the entire
bone weaker mechanically thus more likely to fracture. The majority of the more
than 10 million Americans with osteoporosis are at risk of fracturing the hip,
spine (vertebra) or wrist (distal radius).
Nearly 1.5
million fractures are attributed in part to osteoporosis annually in the US,
making osteoporosis a public health issue of a very large scale. The direct
costs (in current dollars) attributed to care/treatment of osteoporosis-related
fracture is in
the range of $20 billion per year in the US.
With a population
living longer and co-existing medical conditions (e.g. cancer survivors) and
medication (e.g., corticosteroids) that predispose to osteoporosis, the number
of osteoporosis related fractures is expected to increase for the next 60 years
[National Osteoporosis Foundation website, accessed August 2, 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment