How Strong Are Your Bones? May is National Osteoporosis Month

NOF Offers Free Resources and a Bone Basics Webinar to Raise Awareness about Osteoporosis and Fractures

NOF is kicking off National Osteoporosis Month today and issuing a call to action to Break Free from Osteoporosis. As part of the awareness and educational initiative, NOF is offering free resources and a webinar to help raise awareness and encourage people to get to know their risk factors for osteoporosis and make the lifestyle changes needed to protect against broken bones.

An estimated 54 million U.S adults are at risk for osteoporosis and low bone mass. That means more than one-half of the U.S. adult population over age 50 is at risk of breaking a bone and should be concerned about bone health. For women, the incidence of osteoporosis is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.

“We know osteoporosis causes two million broken bones every year in the U.S., yet the majority of patients get their fracture fixed without ever being tested or treated for osteoporosis,” said Amy Porter, executive director and CEO, National Osteoporosis Foundation. “That’s why we’re continuing the Break Free from Osteoporosis initiative to make the connection between broken bones and osteoporosis with the goal of preventing repeat fractures and improving the overall bone health of Americans.”

In honor of National Osteoporosis Month, NOF is offering a free webinar to help people better understand their bone biology and the importance of bone density testing. Throughout the month of May, healthcare professionals and the public alike can register for the webinar, Bone Basics – What’s New in Bone Biology and Skeletal Assessment, for free. The webinar aims to help participants grasp the basic biology and physiology of bone cells and the skeleton and understand the importance of using appropriate diagnostic tools, like DXA, to assess bone density and fracture risk.

This month and throughout the year, NOF is also offering free downloadable resources, like our 2015 campaign poster, on the five steps you can take to Break Free from Osteoporosis and encouraging everyone to take action and protect against broken bones.

5 Steps to Break Free from Osteoporosis

1. Get to know your risk factors: Many factors play a role in your risk for osteoporosis, including age, gender, lifestyle, medical history, family history and whether you take any medication or have medical conditions that can lead to bone loss.
2. Get active: Doing regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise is one of the best ways to protect against osteoporosis and broken bones.
3. Eat Your Way to Healthy Bones: Calcium, vitamin D, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats are the key to eating for healthy bones.
4. Ask your healthcare provider when you should get a bone density test: The painless, 10-minute test will help predict your risk of breaking a bone.
5. Don’t smoke and don’t drink too much alcohol: No more than two drinks a day is best for bone health.

To learn more about the Break Free from Osteoporosis campaign and how to build and maintain strong bones for life, please visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.