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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women who suffer from osteoporosis dont truly understand the risk associated with the disease. A new study finds the majority of women who have osteoporosis do not believe they are at a higher risk of fracture than their peers.
The study included more than 60,000 women. Researchers say 55 percent of women diagnosed with osteoporosis feel they are not at risk for a fracture. Osteoporosis is when bones become fragile and are more likely to break. If left untreated, the disease can progress painlessly until a fracture occurs. Half of all women over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime.
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Many women arent making the connection between their osteoporosis diagnosis and the serious consequences of the disease, namely the risk of fractures and the disability associated with those fractures, Ethel Siris, MD, Director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center of the Columbia University Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital was quoted as saying. This study underscores the need for physicians to help patients better understand the meaning of an osteoporosis diagnosis, not just from a clinical perspective but also from the perspective of how it could potentially impact their lives.
Study authors say that experiencing even one fracture after the age of 45 years old can reduce a womans quality of life.
SOURCE: Presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 30th Annual Meeting on September 15, 2008 in Montreal
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