Intervention for the prevention and control of osteoporosis should comprise a combination of legislative action, educational measures, health service activities, media coverage, and individual counselling to initiate changes in behaviour.
Intervention for the prevention and control of osteoporosis should comprise a combination of legislative action, educational measures, health service activities, media coverage, and individual counselling to initiate changes in behaviour.
WHAT IT DOES With 99 percent of the body's calcium stored in the skeleton and teeth, the main role of the mineral is to help build bones and increase bone density. However, calcium has other functions, too, including helping blood clot and muscles contract. When the body is short on calcium for these purposes, it steals the mineral from your bones. Unless we constantly replenish our supply of calcium, drop by drop, our bones become thinner from depleting our calcium savings account, ... It's like living off your principal instead of your interest. It's not smart, and it puts you at risk for osteoporosis.
In order to achieve the best results to prevent osteoporosis and its complications, the prevention should ideally begin at the earliest possible age.
In recognising the global problem posed by osteoporosis, WHO sees the need for a global strategy for prevention and control of osteoporosis, focusing on three major functions: prevention, management and surveillance.
In addition to relieving patient suffering, research is needed to help reduce the enormous economic and social burdens posed by chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
The launch of the report coincides with the initiation by WHO of the global strategy for the prevention and control of osteoporosis, and I think a good partnership could be established in our common efforts to prevent osteoporosis.
Although approximately 80% of osteoporosis sufferers are women, as the longevity of the male population increases, the disease will assume increasing importance in men.
Today osteoporosis affects more than 75 million people in the United States, Europe and Japan and causes more than 2.3 million fractures in the USA and Europe alone.
As we may know, osteoporosis affects around 10 million Americans, most of whom are over 55, and it is the cause of an estimated 1.5 million fractures annually.
I have seen doctors, in good faith, leave patients on steroids for years, thinking they are doing right. A friend of mine was on steroids for so long, she has severe osteoporosis.
This all really points to the ability of women at highest risk for osteoporosis to make their own informed choices about supplements they take.
Such lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, little physical activity and low dietary calcium intake are risk factors for osteoporosis as well as for many other non-communicable diseases.
Last year I was diagnosed with osteoporosis.
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month is celebrated each May, and becomes a chance for our Nation to become more familiar with the effects of this disease, and about the preventable steps that we can take to deal with it.
Given the serious public health burden of fractures associated with osteoporosis, it is important to learn as much as possible about ways to prevent and treat bone loss.
Osteoporosis, as the third threat, is particularly attributable to women's physiology.
© 2020 Inspirational Stories
© 2020 Inspirational Stories