Information on Osteoporosis from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist. Men as well as women are affected by osteoporosis, a disease that can be prevented and treated. Read more from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH.
Information on Osteoporosis from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Osteoporosis is when bones become weak and brittle. If left unchecked, it can lead to bone breaks ( fracture ). Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip , spine , and wrist . More from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Information on Osteoporosis from MayoClinic.com
Osteoporosis at MayoClinic.com.
Osteoporosis: Essentials at Consumer Reports
What is it? What are the symptoms? How is it diagnosed? How common is it? What will happen? Questions to ask. Key points about treatments.
Interactive Treatment Tool: Taking Charge of Your Bone Health
Osteoporosis may be a silent disease but that doesn’t mean you should be silent when it comes to treating it! Take this quiz to find out how you are doing with your treatment and learn what you should be discussing with your health care provider so that you can take charge of your bone health. Use this interactive tool at the Alliance for Aging website.
Questionnaire: What is your risk of osteoporosis?
Use the Your Disease Risk assessment tool at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and
Washington University School of Medicine.
Fact Sheet: Osteoporosis from the Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education
One out of two women and one out of eight men will be
affected by osteoporosis in their lifetime. Osteoporosis affects 44 million Americans (California's
population is around 34 million) at a cost of $17 billion
dollars annually. Read more on osteoporosis at the Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education.
Fact Sheet: Osteoporosis - The Silent Thief
With the increase in life expectancy and the growing number of older women, their health concerns require particular attention. The long-term health prospects of women are influenced by changes at menopause, which, in combination with life-long conditions and other factors, such as poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Read more from the International Council of Nurses.
Paying for your Osteoporosis medicines: What You Need to Know
How much your insurance company pays for your osteoporosis medication depends on the type of insurance plan you have. Osteoporosis medications require a prescription from your healthcare oral medications that patients take by mouth, such as tablets and liquids. They also include injections provider. They include that patients give themselves at home as well as nasal sprays and patches. The different types of osteoporosis medications are listed in the table below. Read more from the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Slide show: Exercises for osteoporosis
MayoClinic.com Osteoporosis Exercises slide show.
Video: Engineering an Intervention for Osteoporosis and Obesity
Osteoporosis and obesity affect more than 30% of the American population and the result is close to $200B in annual health service costs. Research has indicated that extremely small magnitude mechanical signals stimulate bone formation in the weight bearing skeleton and may represent a non-drug therapy for too much fat or not enough bone. Prof. Rubin's talk was part of the Inauguration Faculty Lecture Series at Stony Brook University and may be viewed at spokenword.org.
Video: Living with osteoporosis
View a video featuring individuals living with osteoporosis, as well as a leading expert in the field. It includes helpful information on preventing and treating osteoporosis, as well as managing the disease and living a full and healthy life at AgingResearch.org.
Podcast: Preventing Osteoporosis
What foods are good for your bones and which ones may be hurting them? What exercise is best for warding off weak bones? When should you start getting your bones scanned? Find out the answers and get other interesting tips on prevention and treatment in this podcast with Dr. Michelle Bellantoni from Johns Hopkins University. An expert in osteoporosis, Dr. Bellantoni discusses the details of prevention and talks about some of the latest news and research on osteoporosis at AgingResearch.org.
Podcast: Osteoporosis
University of Florida Health System chief of endocrinology Kent Wehmeier, M.D., discusses who is affected by osteoporosis and why diagnosis and treatment are important at shands.org.
Podcast: Overview of Osteoporosis
Dr. Kathie Hermayer, a specialist in osteoporosis, has an in depth discussion covering the definition of osteoporosis, who is at risk, how to prevent the disease and explains how bone density testing is used to measure the disease. Listen at the Medical University of South Carolina website.
Pharmacologic treatment of low bone density or osteoporosis to prevent fractures
Objectives: To synthesize the evidence for the following questions: What are the comparative benefits in fracture reduction among and also within the following treatments for low bone density: bisphosphonates, specifically alendronate, risedronate, etidronate, ibandronate, pamidronate, and zoledronic acid; calcitonin; estrogen for women; teriparatide; selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), specifically raloxifene and tamoxifen; testosterone for men; vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin D and calcium; and the combination of calcium plus vitamin D? See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women
To update the evidence-based position statement published by The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) in 2002 regarding the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Osteoporosis and bone mineral density
Objectives: To evaluate the appropriateness of bone mineral density (BMD) measurement procedures for osteoporosis. See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
FRAX™ and the assessment of fracture probability in men and women from the UK
The aim of this study was to apply an assessment tool for the prediction of fracture in men and women with the use of clinical risk factors (CRFs) for fracture with and without the use of femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD). The clinical risk factors, identified from previous meta-analyses, comprised body mass index (BMI, as a continuous variable), a prior history of fracture, a parental history of hip fracture, use of oral glucocorticoids, rheumatoid arthritis and other secondary causes of osteoporosis, current smoking, and alcohol intake 3 or more units daily. Full text available free through PubMed.
Abstract: A randomized trial of vertebroplasty for painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
BACKGROUND: Vertebroplasty has become a common treatment for painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures, but there is limited evidence to support its use. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which participants with one or two painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures that were of less than 12 months' duration and unhealed, as confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, were randomly assigned to undergo vertebroplasty or a sham procedure. Participants were stratified according to treatment center, sex, and duration of symptoms (< 6 weeks or > or = 6 weeks).Read abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: Soy isoflavone supplementation and bone mineral density in menopausal women: a 2-y multicenter clinical trial.
BACKGROUND: Isoflavones are naturally occurring plant estrogens that are abundant in soy. Although purported to protect against bone loss, the efficacy of soy isoflavone supplementation in the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to test the effect of soy isoflavone supplementation on bone health. Read more at PubMed.
Abstract: Vitamin K to prevent fractures in older women: systematic review and economic evaluation.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of vitamin K in preventing osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women. Read abstract at PubMed.
Improvement in health-related quality of life in osteoporosis patients treated with teriparatide
Background: Individuals with osteoporosis and recent vertebral fractures suffer from pain and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL). To determine whether patients with osteoporosis treated with teriparatide experienced improvement in HRQL and pain symptoms after several months of therapy. Full text available free through PubMed.
Abstract: Depression and bone metabolism. A review.
BACKGROUND: There are data to suggest low bone mineral density is disproportionately prevalent among those with psychiatric disorders. This paper aims to review the current evidence on the relationship between depression and bone mineral density, and identify potential mechanisms. Read abstract at PubMed.
Bisphosphonates: Mechanism of Action and Role in Clinical Practice
Bisphosphonates are primary agents in the current pharmacological arsenal against osteoclast-mediated bone loss due to osteoporosis, Paget disease of bone, malignancies metastatic to bone, multiple myeloma, and hypercalcemia of malignancy. In addition to currently approved uses, bisphosphonates are commonly prescribed for prevention and treatment of a variety of other skeletal conditions, such as low bone density and osteogenesis imperfecta. However, the recent recognition that bisphosphonate use is associated with pathologic conditions including osteonecrosis of the jaw has sharpened the level of scrutiny of the current widespread use of bisphosphonate therapy. Full text available free through PubMed.
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Consumers' Guide to Top Doctors finds the Doctors Rated Best by other Doctors
To find out who the top doctors are around the country, nonprofit Consumers' CHECKBOOK surveyed roughly 340,000 physicians to tell us which specialists they would want to care for a loved one. The Top Doctors database contains the names of over 23,000 doctors who were mentioned most often. Find top-rated doctors in the fifty largest metropolitan areas, in over thirty-five specialties, and more.
The Spine
Read a Report on Osteoporosis (click below)
Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation
Consumers' Guide to Top Doctors finds the Doctors Rated Best by other Doctors in over 30 specialties.
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People with osteoporosis share their stories.
Normal (top) vs. Osteoporotic (bottom) Bone
Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation
Consumers' Guide to Hospitals
Which Hospital Should You Choose
"What makes the Consumers' Guide to Hospitals so special?
We've got 30 million answers to that question. That's how many hospital records Consumers' CHECKBOOK sifted through to calculate risk-adjusted death rates and adverse-outcome rates, and that's just part of the data used to rate the hospitals. The organization also sent out more than 280,000 questionnaires to physicians in 53 major metropolitan areas in the United States, asking them to rate their local hospitals; checked ratings of the hospitals by surveyed consumers; checked which hospitals were providing recommended tests and procedures for patients with specified medical problems; and more."
AARP The Magazine
A Bone Densitometry Machine
Source: Wikimedia Commons
