Osteoporosis FAQs

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass that results in a reduction in the strength of the skeleton.

Normal Bone

Osteoporotic Bone

The Scope of the Problem

• Osteoporosis affects as many as 44 million Americans
• 80% of those affected are women
• One in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her/his remaining lifetime
• While osteoporosis is often thought of as an older person’s disease, it can strike at any age

Consequences of Osteoporosis

• Increased risk of fracture of the hip, spine, and wrist
• Morbidity and mortality from fracture
  
  – Over 300,000 hip fractures/year
  
  – A 50-year-old white woman has a 15% lifetime probability of suffering a hip fracture
• Healthcare costs
  
  – 2002: $18 billion

Fractures of the Hip and Spine