Fatal toll of fragile bones: OsteoporosisFatal toll of fragile bones: Osteoporosis kills 1,100 a month - and causes millions needless agony
Osteoporosis is a crippling disease affecting thousands of women - and men - every year.
Too often the warning signs are missed by doctors, with devastating consequences; every month around 1,100 people die after fracturing their hip.
Our bones are made up of a thick outer shell and a strong inner mesh that looks like honeycomb. Osteoporosis (which means ‘porous bone’ in Greek) occurs when the holes in this honeycomb become bigger, making it fragile and liable to break easily.
As we age, our bones, like everything else in our body, become weaker. This is because our bones aren’t renewed as well as they used to be.
Normally special cells known as osteoblasts build new bone, while osteoclasts break down old bone.
After the age of 35, this process becomes less efficient, leading to a gradual reduction in bone density, with the risk of fractures becoming particularly high after we hit 50.
An estimated three million people in Britain are thought to have osteoporosis, but this number is likely to rise as the population ages.
Simplicity Health has an Osteoporosis Test which is simple, accurate and can be used in your own home. You then send your sample in the pre-paid envelope provided and your results will be discreetly posted back to you.
|
