Women & Osteoporosis: Making Noise About the Silent Disease

It’s called the “Silent Disease” because there are no symptoms. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a person suffers a broken bone, often in the hip, wrist or spine. And if that person is elderly, the medical consequences can be serious, even life-threatening.

We’re talking about osteoporosis, a disease that causes structural deterioration of the bone tissue. With osteoporosis, the bones eventually become so weak that even a minor fall can cause a break.

It’s estimated that 28 million Americans currently have osteoporosis. In addition, 55% of people age 50 and older are at risk for the disease. Women have a much higher risk for the disease, accounting for about 80% of the cases.

Testing Is Critical.
Because there are no symptoms with osteoporosis, it’s extremely important to have a bone density test, which is the only way to detect the disease. Women who are 65 and older should be tested as well as postmenopausal women under the age of 65 if they have one or more risk factors.

A DEXA Scan is one of the most accurate ways to measure bone density. In less than 10 minutes, this safe, painless, non-invasive procedure uses a low dose of X-ray radiation (about 1/10 of the amount used for a chest X-ray) to measure the quantity and quality of the material inside your bones. Talk to your OB/GYN or personal physician to see if you need to schedule a bone density test.

Source: Mayo Clinic, webMD