Do you think osteoporosis could happen to you?

An osteoporotic fracture occurs somewhere in the world every 3 seconds.¹ Just by being female and aged over 50 – you are at risk of developing osteoporosis and breaking a bone. But it’s surprising how many people think that osteoporosis is a disease that will happen to someone else. It won’t happen to me, will it?

A National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) survey of postmenopausal women in 2017 found that:²

• Around 7 in 10 women (68%) who have known risk factors for osteoporosis do not believe or even realise that they are at risk of osteoporosis and broken bones; and

• Over 8 in 10 women (82%) miss the critical connection that broken bones can mean osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis can happen to every woman – Could you be the 1 in 3?

• 1 in 3 women over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis¹

• With over 580 million women aged over 50 living in Asia by 2020, that’s at least 194 million women who will suffer a broken bone because of this disease³

And every broken bone affects your health and quality of life. They can cause pain, loss of mobility and reduced independence. You may not be able to take care of yourself or do many of the things you take for granted when you have osteoporosis.^4,5

Self-check your risk factors for osteoporosis now⁶

• A family history of osteoporosis or low bone density

• Coeliac disease (gluten or wheat allergy)

• A condition for which you take glucocorticoid medication

• Low body weight

• Inadequate calcium and vitamin D in your diet

• A sedentary lifestyle

• Or have you fallen in the past 12 months?

If you answered YES to any of the above risk factors, you could be at risk of osteoporosis and broken bones. But there are many more. Click here to learn more about the risk factors for broken bones and osteoporosis.

Sadly, the first time many people think about osteoporosis is after their first broken bone.