ctures osteroprosis was the underlying cause of most of these injuries. An average of 24% of hip fracture patients age 50 and over die in the year following their fracture. One-fourth of those who were ambulatory before their hip fracture require long-term caar afterward.Osteoporosis if often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have the disease until their bones become so weak that sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Collapsed certebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis or stooped posture. Certain people are more likely to develop osteoporsis than others. Factors that increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis are called "risk factors." The following risk factors have been identified: Being female thin and/or small frame, Advanced age, a family history of osteoporosis Postmenopause, including early or surgically enduced menopause. Abnormal absence of menstral period, anorexia, nervosa, or bulimia. A diet of low in calcium use of certain medications, such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants. Low testosterone levels in men. an inactive lifestyle, cigarette smoking and use of alcohol.(National Osteoporosis Foundation). Specialized test called bone density test called bone denstiy tests can measure bone density in various sites of the body. A bone density test can: Detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs, predict your chances of fracturing in the future, determine your rat of bone loss and/or monitor the effects of treatment if the test is conducted at intervals of a year or more. There are ways to prevent osteoporosis. Don't smoke, smoking increases bone loss, perhaps by decreasing the amount fo estrogen your body makes and reducing the absorption of calcium in your intestine. One study showed that postmenopausal wom...
