Osteoporosis is a silent disease that weakens bones but generally has no outward symptoms until a bone—usually in the hip, spine, or wrist—breaks. This treatable disease can affect anyone, yet many do not realize it until it is too late. The National Institutes of Health defines osteoporosis as “a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, or when the structure and strength of bone changes.” Here’s what you need to know about it.

1. 95% of hip fractures are from falling down. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites broken hips as “one of the most serious fall injuries”—resulting from falling down and sideways. The force of a fall on weakened bones is the reason for the high incidence of fracture.

2. Women are at highest risk.  1 in 5 women over 50 suffer from osteoporosis. Research shows that a woman’s fracture risk is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. Johns Hopkins Medicine states that “up to 1 in 2 women will break a bone due to Osteoporosis.”

3. Men are not immune either.  Men are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis than to get prostate cancer. In fact, Baylor Scott & White Health claims the estimated lifetime risk of this for men over the age of 50 is 27%.

4. Osteoporosis is expensive. According to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, broken bones from osteoporosis can total a massive $19 billion annually. By 2025, osteoporosis is predicted to result in $25.3 billion in costs and 3 million fractures. 

5. It is uncommon to get tested for osteoporosis. Although the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends osteoporosis screening tests for older people, and it is covered by Medicare, there are no mandates for testing. In fact, only 9% of women covered by Medicare who suffered an osteoporotic fracture were screened for osteoporosis with a bone mineral density test within six months following their fracture. 

This silent disease has few outward symptoms, and the risks increase the older you are, especially for women after menopause. But there are steps you can take - throughout life - to protect yourself. From building strong bones in youth to reducing bone loss in later life, and protecting your balance so your bones don’t suffer the trauma of a fall, it’s important you take action. 

What you can do now

• Know where you are: ask for a fall risk assessment that includes a balance measurement, and ask your doctor when a bone density screening would be appropriate for you (hint, if you have a family history of Osteoporosis, are post-menopausal, underweight, or have fractured a bone recently, these can be good reasons).

• Ask your doctor if you need a vitamin, mineral supplement, or if your bone density indicates you need medication to reduce bone loss.

• Get outside into the sunshine if you possibly can (Vitamin D is important for balance and bone health).

• Eat a varied diet including calcium-rich foods.

• Do regular weight bearing exercise to help reduce bone loss.* This can include training with weights or resistance bands as well as forms like running, jumping and dancing.

• Do regular strength and balance exercises to reduce your risk of falling.*

*Check with your doctor or physical therapist to see which exercises are right for you.

Did you know - In a study, older adults who regularly measured their balance with ZIBRIO technology observed a 74% reduction in falls, likely due to awareness and motivation around daily actions they took to improve their balance health. It took an average of 34 days to shift individual balance scores from high risk to moderate risk for falling.

Balance responds quickly to what you do and can be improved at any age. To learn more about how ZIBRIO technology can fit into your life, click here.