Normal bone is dense and strong.

Bone with osteoporosis has thinned out and become porous, making it more likely to break.

Women past menopause are at risk for bone loss.
The good news is you can protect your future.

After menopause, most women experience bone loss that can eventually lead to osteoporosis. Yet, relatively few with osteoporosis have been diagnosed or treated. It's important to know that many effects of bone loss are silent. So you must do everything you can now, to secure a healthier future.

Start by talking to your doctor or other healthcare professionals and reading this guide. It provides the basic facts on bone loss and osteoporosis. You'll soon learn that there's hope - and help - in the fight against bone loss.

What is Osteoporosis?

Normal bone is dense and strong. Bone with osteoporosis has thinned out and becomes more porous, making it more likely to break.

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become more porous, gradually making them weaker and more brittle. (Hence, the origin of the name - "osteo" meaning bone and "porosis" meaning that which is porous.)

Healthy bone is dense and strong and is able to withstand a great deal of pressure. But when osteoporosis sets in, bones thin out and become fragile, making them more likely to break.

What causes osteoporosis?

Our bodies go through a continuous bone-building cycle, where old bone is broken down and new bone is formed. Osteoporosis is caused by an imbalance in this cycle, where too much bone is broken down and not completely rebuilt.

The single most important factor contributing to this imbalance is menopause. Until their mid-30s, most women gain more bone than they lose. After that, the process usually balances out, so that the amount of bone lost is about equal to the amount that's replaced.

However, during menopause, hormonal changes - namely, decreasing levels of estrogen - speed up bone loss. It is when this bone loss becomes severe that a person has osteoporosis.

What effects can it have?

In the early stages, osteoporosis can have few, if any, physical effects that are noticeable. However, as the disease progresses, fractures can occur, especially in the spine (or backbone), wrists and hip bones.

This can lead to pain, loss of height, restricted mobility, or a curved backbone (also known as a "dowager's hump").

These physical effects can result in a loss of confidence and strength. They can also mean a loss of freedom, including the ability to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

But there are ways to combat both the physical and emotional effects of osteoporosis. One is early detection. Another is treatment.

Who is at risk?

Women who have gone through menopause are most at risk. Menopause usually begins when a woman is about 50, though it can occur earlier if a woman has surgery to remove her ovaries.

In addition to postmenopausal women, other groups are also at risk. Most prone to bone loss are women with a family history of osteoporosis, Caucasian and Asian women, and women who are thin or small-boned.

Other factors that may contribute to risk include:

• smoking
  
  
• too much alcohol
  
  
• too little exercise
  
  
• too little calcium (now or as a child)
  
  
• a previous broken bone that resulted from a minor injury
  
  
• certain medications, such as steroids (common used to treat asthma and
  arthritis) and thyroid hormone (if the dose is too high)
  
  
• early menopause (before age 45)

Remember: Menopause is a key factor contributing to the development of osteoporosis. Even if none of these factors applies to you, if you're a woman past menopause, you may still have or develop osteoporosis.

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If you think you're at risk for osteoporosis...

1.Talk to your doctor

Your doctor may be able to tell from certain signs and symptoms if you have osteoporosis. It may also show up on an X-ray, though X-rays only reveal the signs of the disease if it is at a fairly advanced stage.

2.Consider a bone density test

Because osteoporosis can be so difficult to detect, your doctor may recommend a bone density test. It is the most practical way to accurately measure the density of your bones and can be useful in helping your doctor diagnose the disease, especially early on. Repeated over time, it can also help your doctor track your rate of bone loss.

There are several types of bone density tests available. They are safe, painless and non-invasive. They are also fast - some only take a few minutes.

Being tested is a good way to help your doctor determine if you have osteoporosis. So if you think you're at risk, ask your doctor whether you should have a bone density test.

3.Take care of your bones

Talk to your doctor about ways you may be able to slow down future bone loss. Although taking calcium is important for osteoporosis, calcium can't totally stop bone loss or rebuild bone after menopause.

Regular brisk walking, running, tennis and low-impact aerobics may help increase your bone strength. Ask your doctor to help you put together an exercise program that can meet your specific needs.

If you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis...

1.Take action

Don't make the mistake of thinking there's nothing you can do. Or that taking calcium and exercising regularly is enough to cure your osteoporosis.

There's a lot you can do. Start talking to your doctor about your treatment options and ways to keep your bones as healthy and strong as possible.

2.Take note

Try to keep informed about available treatments. Medical science is discovering new treatment options all the time, and you should know all the choices. Again, discuss these with your doctor.

3.Take comfort

If you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, you are not alone. There are 20 million women in America who have osteoporosis. Try to think of yourself as one of the more fortunate ones, because now you know what action you can take to fight it.

Encourage them to ask their doctor or other healthcare professional about their risk, getting tested, and ways that they may be able to maintain their bone health. if they would like more information, including details on treatments that can strengthen bone in patients with osteoporosis, please ask them to call our toll-free number:

1-800-363-8265

Customer Service Hours:

Monday-Friday 8:OOam-7:OOpm EST

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